MDDM ch.67: "Yet, does it live" (657.13)

[Doug Millison]

Not much developed out of it during the first P-list reading of M&D, as I
recall, but it was suggested that looking into The Complat Angler by Isaak
Walton might be fruitful.


http://www.farreaches.org/fishing/izintro.html


[...] Piscator. You know, Gentlemen, it is an easy thing to scoff at any
art or recreation; a little wit mixed with ill nature, confidence, and
malice, will do it; but though they often venture boldly, yet they are
often caught, even in their own trap, according to that of Lucian, the
father of the family of Scoffers: 

Lucian, well skilled in scoffing, this hath writ,
Friend, that's your folly, which you think your wit:
This you vent oft, void both of wit and fear,
Meaning another, when yourself you jeer. 

If to this you add what Solomon says of Scoffers, that they are an
abomination to mankind, let him that thinks fit scoff on, and be a Scoffer
still; but I account them enemies to me and all that love Virtue and
Angling. 

And for you that have heard many grave, serious men pity Anglers; let me
tell you, Sir, there be many men that are by others taken to be serious and
grave men, whom we contemn and pity Men that are taken to be grave, because
nature hath made them of a sour complexion; money-getting men, men that
spend all their time, first in getting, and next, in anxious care to keep
it; men that are condemned to be rich, and then always busy or
discontented: for these poor rich-men, we Anglers pity them perfectly, and
stand in no need to borrow their thoughts to think ourselves so happy. No,
no, Sir, we enjoy a contentedness above the reach of such dispositions, and
as the learned and ingenuous Montaigne says, like himself, freely, " When
my Cat and I entertain each other with mutual apish tricks, as playing with
a garter, who knows but that I make my Cat more sport than she makes me?
Shall I conclude her to be simple, that has her time to begin or refuse, to
play as freely as I myself have? Nay, who knows but that it is a defect of
my not understanding her language, for doubtless Cats talk and reason with
one another, that we agree no better: and who knows but that she pities me
for being no wiser than to play with her, and laughs and censures my folly,
for making sport for her, when we two play together?" 

Thus freely speaks Montaigne concerning Cats; and I hope I may take as
great a liberty to blame any man, and laugh at him too, let him be never so
grave, that hath not heard what Anglers can say in the justification of
their Art and Recreation; which I may again tell you, is so full of
pleasure, that we need not borrow their thoughts, to think ourselves
happy.   [...]



At 10:04 AM -0400 8/5/02, Terrance wrote:
>Agreed. Yes, the conversation progresses to a discussion of "fishing"
>and other
>"rites" and "dogma"--the soul and so forth.