ROWLANDE BROUGHTON.

THIS personage adds another name to the Catalogue of English Poets. I do not find him any where mentioned, and yet he was the author of other productions than this about to be described. At least it may be so presumed from the following stanza in the commencement of this poem.

What hath bewitched late thy powers,

Whiche thou wast wont to use,

Or where is now becom the fruite
Of thy acquainted muse.

I give the title page of this poem. "A BRIEFE DISCOURSE OF THE LYFE AND DEATH OF THE LATE RIGHT HIGH AND HONORABLE SIR WILLIAM PAWLET, Knight, Lord Saint John, Erle of Wilshire, Marques of Winchester, Knight, of the honorable Order of the Garter, one of the Queenes Majesties Privie Counsel, and Lorde Highe Treasurer of Eng.

lande.

Which deceased the tenth day of Marche, Anno 1571, and was buried at Basing the 28 day of Aprill.

Anno. MDLXXII.

Printed

JO. DAVORS.

PERHAPS there does not exist in the circle of English Literature a rarer book than this, which I am about to describe. It is quoted no where but by Isaac Walton, in his Complete Angler, where it is ascribed to Jo. Davors, esq. Of this person I can no where find any account. He has even escaped the indefatigable penetration and industry of Ritson. The book is so rare, that Sir John Hawkins confesses he could never procure a sight of it.

My friend Mr. Douce had given me the op portunity of describing it, when I afterwards found a less perfect copy in the British Museum.

"THE SECRETS OF ANGLING.

TEACHING

The choicest tooles, baits and seasons for the taking of any fish, in pond or river, practised, and familiarly opened in three Bookes. By J. D. Esquire.

Augmented with many approved experiments, by W. Lauson.

London. Printed by T. H. for John Harison, and are to be sold by Franeis Coles, at his Shop in the Old Bayly. 1652."

As

As I never heard of any other copies than that of Mr. Douce, and one belonging to the Museum, and as I know the book has eluded the diligent resarches of some of our most acute and perservering collectors, I think the following specimen will be acceptable, at least to the lovers of the Art of Angling.

TO KNOW EACH FISHES HAUNT.

Now that the Angler may the better know
Where he may find each fish he may require;
Since some delight in waters still and slow,
And some do love the mud and slimy mire;
Some others where the stream doth swiftly flow,
Some stony ground, and gravell some desire:

Here shall he learn how every sort doth seeke
To haunt the layre that doth his nature like.

Carpe, Eele, and Tench do love a muddy ground,
Eeles under stones or hollow roots do lie,
The Tench among thick weeds is soonest found,
The fearfull Carp into the deep doth flie,

Bream, Chub, and Pike, where clay and sand abound,

Pike loves great pooles and places full of frie:

The Chub delights in stream or shady tree,
And tender Bream in broadest lake to be.

The Salmon swift the rivers sweet doth like,
Where largest streams into the sea are led,
The spotted Trout the smaller brooke doth seek,
And in the deepest hole there hides his head,

The prickled Pearch in every hollow creek
Hard by the banke and sandy shore is fed,

VOL. II.

F

Pearch,

Pearch, Trout, and Salmon love clean waters all,
Green weedy roots, and stony gravel small.

So doth the Bulhead, Gudgion, and the Loch,
Who most in shallow brooks delight to be;
The Ruffe, the Dace, the Barbell, and the Roch,
Gravell and sand do love in lesse degree,
But to the deep and shade do more approach,
And over head some covert love to see

Of spreading poplar, oake, or willow green,
Where underneath they lurke for being seene.

The mighty Luce great waters haunts alway,
And in the stillest place thereof doth lie,
Save when he rangeth forth to seek his prey,
And swift among the fearful fish do flie ¿
The dainty Humber loves the marley clay,
And clearest streams of champion country nigh.
And in the chiefest pooles thereof doth rest,
Where he is soonest found, and taken best.

The Cavender amidst the waters faire,
In swiftest streams doth most himself bestowe,
The Shad and Tweat do rather like the laire
Of brackish waves, where it doth ebb and flow,
And thither also doth the Flock repaire,
And flat upon the bottome lieth low.

The Peele, the Mullet, and the Suants good
Do like the same, and therein seek their food.

But here experience doth my skill exceed,
Since divers countries divers rivers have,
And divers rivers change of waters breed,
And change of waters sundry fish do crave,
And sundry fish in divers places feed,
As best doth like them in the liquid wave.

So