A Work of thanks to such as in a thing

Of harmlesse Pleasure have regard to save
Their dearest Soules from Sin, and may intend
Of pretious Time some part thereon to spend.

You Nimphs that, in the Springs and Waters sweet,
Your dwelling have, of every Hill and Dale,
And oft amidst the Meadows green do meet
To sport and play, and hear the Nightingale,
And in the Rivers fresh do wash your feet,

While PROGNE's Sister tels her wofull tale:
Such Ayd and Power unto my Verses lend,
And may suffice this little Worke to end.

And thou sweet BOYD*, that with thy wat❜ry sway
Dost wash the Cliffes of Deington and Week,
And through their Rocks with crooked winding way,
Thy Mother AVON runnest soft to seek;

In whose fair Streams, the speckled Trout doth play,
The Roch, the Dace, and Gudgin, and the Bleike:
Teach me the Skill with slender line and hook

To take each Fish of River, Pond, and Brook."

A still more favourable Specimen may be found in the Stanzas which relate to the Angler's "severall Tooles, and what Garment is fittest ;" for, formerly, even the Angler had his appropriate Dress.

"A worthy Answer.

"I mean not here Men's Errours to reprove, Nor do envy their seeming happy State; But rather marvell why they do not love

An honest Sport, that is without Debate; Since their abused Pastimes often move

Their mindes to Anger, and to mortall Hate; And as in bad delights their time they spend, So oft it brings them to no better End.

Indeed it is a Life of lesser pain,

To sit at Play from Noon till it be Night: And then from Night till it be Noon again,

With damned Oaths pronounced in despight,
For little cause, and every trifle vain,

To curse, to brawle, to quarrell and to fight,
To pack the Cards, and with some coz'ning Trick
His fellow's Purse of all his Coyn to pick.

Or to beguile another of his Wife,

As did ÆGISTHUS, AGAMEMNON serve:

Or as the Roman Monark led a Life,

To spoyle and spend, while others pine and starve, And to compell their Friends with foolish Strife

To take more drink then will their Health preserve, And to conclude, for debt or just desart, In baser Tune to sing the Counter-part.

O let me rather on the pleasant Brinke

Of TYNE and TRENT possesse some dwelling place, Where I may see my Quill and Corke down sinke, With eager bit of Barbell, Bleike, or Dace: And on the World and his CREATOUR thinke, While thy proud Thais painted sheet embrace, And with the fume of strong Tobacco's smoke, All quaffing round are ready for to choke!

Let them that list these pastimes then pursue,

And on their pleasing Fancies feed their fill;
So I the Fields and Meadows green may view,

And by the Rivers fresh may walke at will,
Among the Dazies and the Violets blew :
Red Hyacinth, and yellow Daffadill,
Purple Narcissus like the Morning rayes,
Pale Ganderglas, and azor Culverkayes.

I count it better Pleasure to behold

The goodly compasse of the lofty Skie,
And in the midst thereof like burning Gold,
The flaming Chariot of the World's great Eye;
The wat❜ry Clouds that in the Ayre uprol'd,

With sundry kinds of painted Colours flie;
And faire AURORA lifting up her Head,
All blushing rise from old TITHONUS Bed.

The Hills and Mountains raised from the Plains,
The Plains extended levell with the Ground,
The Ground divided into sundry Vains,

The Vains enclos'd with running Rivers round,
The Rivers making way through Nature's chains,
With headlong Course into the Sea profound;
The surging Sea beneath the Vallies low,
The Vallies sweet, and Lakes that lovely flow.

The lofty Woods, the Forests wide and long,

Adorn'd with leaves and branches fresh and green, In which cool brows the Birds with chaunting Song Do welcome with their Quire the Summer's Queen, The Meadows fair where, FLORA's guifts among, Are intermixt, the verdant Grasse between, The silver skaled Fish that softly swim Within the Brooks and chrystal wat'ry brim.

All these and many more of His Creation,

That made the Heavens, the Angler oft doth see,

And takes therein no little Delectation,

To thinke how strange and wonderfull they bee,

Framing thereof an inward Contemplation,
To set his Thoughts on other fancies free:
And whiles he looks on these with joyfull Eye,
His Mind is wrapt above the starry Skie!"

The Angler's direction "for the Gudgion" will afford another Specimen.