The Carp which in th' Italian Seas was bred,
With shining scraps of yellow Gold is fed ;
Tho' chang'd his form, his Avarice remains,
And in his breast the love of Lucre reigns.
For SATURN flying from victorious Jove,
Compell'd of old, in banishment to rove
Along th' Italian shore, a Vessel found
Beyond the Lake of wide Benacus bound;
He, for his passage, at a price agreed,
And with large gifts of Gold the Master fee'd.
But he the Master (Carpus was he nam❜d)
With thirst of gain, and love of Gold inflam'd;
Prepar'd in chains the Passenger to bind,
But to the God his face betray'd his mind,
And from the Vessel in revenge he threw
Into the waves the Pilot and his Crew;
Then into Fish the Traytors he transform'd,

The Traytors, still with love of Lucre warm'd,
The sailing ship for golden Fragments trace,
And prove themselves deriv'd from human Race*.

word, a Man would easily bee mistaken in him in beholding him so handsome and gentle a Creature, and never imagin him to be half so ravenous as he is; but Fronti nulla Fides." A strange metamorphosis of Man, transformed into a Wilderness. 1634.

* To the tale of Lucre respecting the Carp, may be not inappropriately attached "a Controuersie of a conquest in Loue 'twixt FORTUNE and VENUS."

"Whilst Fissher kest his line the houering fish to hooke,
By hap a rich man's Daughter on the Fissher kest hir looke.
Shee fryde with frantick loue, they marid eke at last :
Thus Fissher was from lowe Estate in top of treasure plast.

If running waters overflow your Lakes,

There best the Barbel* thrive with speckled backs;
And Roach, which shoot as swiftly thro' the flood
As Arrows, flying from the bending wood+;
Loaches which on the sandy bottom lie;
Menows, which constant stores of Eggs supply;
Graylings that smell like Thyme's delightful flow'r;
Gudgeon's who Gravel greedily devour;

Perch like sea Mullets both in taste and smell,

And Pollards which within with prickles swell.

Stoode FORTUNE by and smylde: how say you, Dame,' quoth

shee

To VENUS,' was this Conquest your's, or is it due to mee?' 'Twas I (quoth VULCAN's wife) with help of CUPID's Bowe, That made this wanton wench to rage, and match her selfe so lowe.'

Not so, 'twas FORTUNE I, that brought the trull in place; And Fortune was it that the Man stoode so in Mayden's grace; By FORTUNE fell their loue, 'twas FORTUNE strake the stroke; Then detter is this Man to mee that did the Match prouoke." Epitaphes, Epigrams, &c. by GEORGE TURBErvile.

"Timorous Barbels will not taste the bit Till with their Tayls they haue unhooked it :

And all the Bayts the Fisher can deuise,

Cannot beguile their wary Jealousies."

Must either be eat, or leap upon the shore,
When as the hungary Pickerell doth approch,

And there finde Death which it escapt before.

BALDWIN'S Owen Glendour, Mirrour for M. 1575.

In either stream the Carp* contented dwells, With plenteous spawn thro' all the Year she swells, And in all places and all Seasons breeds,

In Lakes as well as Rivers: hence proceeds

The name of Cyprian, which the CYPRIAN Dame
Bestow'd; the French to Carp have chang'd the name.
Of all the Fish that swim the wat'ry mead,
Not one in Cunning can the Carp exceed.
Sometimes when Nets enclose the stream, she flies
To hollow rocks, and there in secret lies:
Sometimes the Surface of the water skims,
And springing o'er the Net, undaunted swims;
Now motionless she lies beneath the flood,
Holds by a weed, or sinks into the mud:
Nay, not content with this, she oft will dive
Beneath the Net, and not alone contrive
Means for her own Escape, but pity take
On all her hapless Brethren of the Lake;
For rising, with her back she lifts the Snare,
And frees the Captives with officious care †.

"The Pike, the Roach, the Cheuen and the Dace,
The Bream, the Barble with his bearded face,
The Pearch, the Gudgeon, and the silver Eele,
Which Millers taken in their ozier weele,
Dwell in the riuer as principall Fish,
And giuen to PAN to garnish thy dish,
The Salmon, Trout, Flounder and Creuise,
Doe dwell in Riuers where the Menow is.
The Princely Carpe, and medicinable Tench,
In bottom of a Poole themselues doe trench."

BRETON'S Ourania.

+ Thus MONTAIGNE relates of the Scarus "having swallowed the fisher's Hooke, his fellowes will presently flocke

No other Fish so great an Age attain,

For the same Carp, which from the wat❜ry plain
The VALOIS' seated on the Throne survey'd,
Now sees the Sceptre by the BoURBONS Sway'd;

Tho' Age has whiten'd o'er the scaly backs Of the old Carp which swim the royal Lakes; They, neither barren, nor inactive, grow,

But still in sport the waves around 'em throw*

about him, and nibble the line in sunder; and if any of them happen to be taken in a Bow-net, some of his fellowes will put his taile in at the neck of the net, who with his teeth fast holding the same, never leave him, vntil they have pulled him out. Barbles, if one of them chance to be engaged, will set the line against their backes, and with a Fin they have, toothed like a sharp Saw, presently saw and fret the same asunder."

*The Dialogue of Creatures moralised, being one of the scarcest Works of early Typography, another Extract may amuse. "Dialogo xlvi. Of a Fyssh callyd a Carpe, and a Fissh called Tymallus. It happyd in a greate solempne feste, Fisshes of the floode walkyd togidre after Dynar in great tranquillyte and peace for to take ther recreacyon and solace; but the Carpe began to trowble the feste, erectynge hym self by pryde & saynge, I am worthy to be lawdyd aboue all othir, for my flesshe is delicate and swete more than it can be tolde of. I haue not be nourished nothir in dychesse, nor stondyngh watyrs, nor pondes; but I haue be brought vppe in the floode of the greate garde. Wherfore I owe to be Prynce and Regent amonge all yowe. Ther is a Fissh callyd Tymallus, hauinge his name a Flowre, for Timus is callyd a Flowre; and this Tymallus is a Fissh of the See, as saith ISIDORE, Ethimologiarum, xii. and allthoughe that he be fauoureable in sight and delectable in taste, yet moreouir the Fyssh of

1

on smale pecys. The wa munge al mar a Fed ali Truta euyr mouyda ise si, mi se irs Lowe ir asmoche as she was agit und vie eari de saiz uni sayde: Bredryn, its ut god i sæ & içi ir E lawdatowris and prayses, for I unge ut ny se angi some personis thinke me wirty a se sammentit. ir Is wryttyn, the Mouth of an atur Man note cannende te sni not thyn owne, for all commencacy and awe of ren saf Therefore be hit s

is fowle in y. mouth of the Spektar. that those that prayse them self go tager a the see lige. that is, the Dolphyn, which is a must lage and a magicfall and dredinge God, for he shall nightfally determyn this mater. This Counsell plesyd them well, and forth went these twayn togider vnto the Dolphŷn and shewyd to him all ther myndes, and to ther power comendid the seif. To whom the Dolphyn sayde: Children, I neuyr sawe yowe tell this tyme, for ye be alwaye hydde in the floodes, and I am steringe in the great Wawys of the See; wherfore I cannot gyue ryghtfull Sen