THE COMPLEAT ANGLER
IZAAK WALTON
四川盖碗茶To the Right worshipful
John Offley
of Madeley Manor, in the County of Stafford Esquire, My most honoured Friend
Sir,-- I have made so ill u of your former favours, as by them to be encouraged to entreat, that they may be enlarged to the patronage and protection of this Book: and I have put on a modest confidence, that I shall not be denied, becau it is a discour of Fish and Fishing, which you know so well, and both love and practice so much.
You are assured, though there be ignorant men of another belief, that Angling is an Art: and you know that Art better than others; and that this is truth is demonstrated by the fruits of that pleasant labour which you enjoy, when you purpo to give rest to your mind, and divest yourlf of your more rious business, and, which is often, dedicate a day or two to this recreation.
唐山限号查询>肚脐眼疼是怎么回事At which time, if common Anglers should attend you, and be eyewitness of the success, not of your fortune, but your skill, it would doubtless beget in them an emulation to be like you, and that emulation might beget an industrious diligence to be so; but I know it is not attain bye by common capacities: and there be now many men of great wisdom, learning, and experience, which love and practice this Art, that know I speak the truth.
散心Sir, this pleasant curiosity of Fish and Fishing, of which you are so great a master, has been thought worthy the pens and practices of divers in other nations, that have been reputed men of great learning and wisdom. And amongst tho of this nation, I remember Sir Henry Wotton, a dear lover of this Art, has told me, that his intentions were to write a Discour of the Art, and in prai of Angling; and doubtless he had done so, if death had not prevented him; the remembrance of which had often made me sorry, for if he had lived to do it, then the unlearned Angler had en some better treati of this Art, a treati that might have proved worthy his perusal, which, though some have undertaken, I could never yet e in English.
But mine may be thought as weak, and as unworthy of common view; and I do here freely confess, that I should rather excu mylf, than censure others, my own discour being liable to so many exceptions; against which you, Sir, might make this one, that it can contribute nothing to YOUR know
ledge. And lest a longer epistle may diminish your pleasure, I shall make this no longer than to add this following truth, that I am really, Sir, your most affectionate Friend, and most humble Servant, Iz. Wa.
The epistle to the reader
To all Readers of this discour, but especially to the honest Angler
I think fit to tell thee the following truths; that I did neither undertake, nor write, nor publish, and much less own, this Discour to plea mylf: and, having been too easily drawn to do all to plea others, as I propo not the gaining of credit by this undertaking, so I would not willingly lo any part of that to which I had a just title before I began it; and do therefore desire and hope, if I derve not commendations, yet I may obtain pardon.
暑假计划表And though this Discour may be liable to some exceptions, yet I cannot doubt but that most Readers may receive so much pleasure or profit by it, as may make it worthy the time of their perusal, if they be not too grave or too busy men. And this is all the confidence that I can put on, concerning the merit of what is here offered to their consideration and censure; and if the last prove too vere, as I have a liberty, so I am resolved to u it, and neglect all sour censures.
And I wish the Reader also to take notice, that in writing of it I have made mylf a recreation of a recreation; and that it might prove so to him, and not read dull and tediously, I have in veral places mixed, not any scurrility, but some innocent, harmless mirth, of which, if thou be a vere, sour-complexioned man, then I here disallow thee to be a competent judge; for divines say, there are offences given, and offences not given but taken.
And I am the willinger to justify the pleasant part of it, becau though it is known I can be rious at asonable times, yet the whole Discour is, or rather was, a picture of my own disposition, especially in such days and times as I have laid aside business, and gone a-fishing with honest Nat. and R. Roe; but they are gone, and with them most of my pleasant hours, even as a shadow that pasth away and returns not.
And next let me add this, that he that likes not the book, should like the excellent picture of the Trout, and some of the other fish, which I may take a liberty to commend, becau they concern not mylf.
秀才翘尾巴打一字
卢沟谣音乐教案Next, let me tell the Reader, that in that which is the more uful part
of this Discour, that is to say, the obrvations of the nature and breeding, and asons, and catch
ing of fish, I am not so simple as not to know, that a captious reader may find exceptions against something said of some of the; and therefore I must entreat him to con. eider, that experience teaches us to know that veral countries alter the time, and I think, almost the manner, of fishes' breeding, but doubtless of their being in ason; as may appear by three rivers in Monmouthshire, namely, Severn, Wye, and Usk, where Camden obrves, that in the river Wye, Salmon are in ason from September to April; and we are certain, that in Thames and Trent, and in most other rivers, they be in ason the six hotter months.
Now for the Art of catching fish, that is to say, How to make a man that was none to be an Angler by a book, he that undertakes it shall undertake a harder task than Mr. Hales, a most valiant and excellent fencer, who in a printed book called A Private School of Defence undertook to teach that art or science, and was laughed at for his labour. Not but that many uful things might be learned by that book, but he was laughed at becau that art was not to be taught by words, but practice: and so must Angling. And note also, that in this Discour I do not undertake to say all that is known, or may be said of it, but I undertake to acquaint the Reader with many things that are not usually known to every Angler; and I shall leave gleanings and obrvations enough to be made out of the experience of all that love and practice this recreation, to which I shall encourage them. For Angling
may be said to be so like the Mathematicks, that it can never be fully learnt; at least not so fully, but that there will still be more new experiments left for the trial of other men that succeed us.
But I think all that love this game may here learn something that may be worth their money, if they be not poor and needy men: and in ca they be, I then wish them to forbear to buy it; for I write not to get money, but for pleasure, and this Discour boasts of no more, for I hate to promi much, and deceive the Reader.
改弦易辙的意思And however it proves to him, yet I am sure I have found a high content in the arch and conference of what is here offered to the Reader's view and censure. I wish him as much in the perusal of it, and so
