A threefold rowt, of Argus hew,
Kind to encrease, foes to eschew,
With Lyners supple mantle blew,
Themselves reuest.
What time, enricht by Phoebus rayes,
The Alder his new wealth displayes (*)
Of budded groates, and welcome payes
Vnto the Spring.
The Trowts, of middle growth begin,
And eygall peizd, twixt either finne,
At wonted hoste Dan Lyners Inne,
Take their lodging.
Next, as the dayes vp early rise,
In com's the Peall, whose smaller sise,
In his more store, and oft supplies,
A praise doth find.
Laftly, the Sammon, king of fish,
Fils with good cheare the Christmas dish,
Teaching that season must relish
Each in his kind.
(*) It is said that the fish cometh, when the Alder
leafe is growne to the breadth of a groate.
[30]
And of the Sammon in particular.
NOW to the Sammon, king of fish, a trice,
Against whose slate, both skill and will conspire,
Paine brings the fewell, and gaine blowes the fire,
That hand may execute the heads deuice.
Some build his house, but his thence issue barre,
Some make his meashie bed, but reaue his rest:
Some giue him meate, but leaue it not disgest,
Some tickle him, but are from pleasing farre.
Another troope com's in with fire and sword,
Yet cowardly, close counterwaite his way,
And where he doth in streame, mistrustlesse play,
Vail'd with nights robe, they stalke the shore aboord.
One offers him the daylight in a waze,
As if darknesse alone contriued wiles:
But new Neptune, his mate, at land, the whiles,
With forked Mace, deere school's his foolish gaze.
Poore Fish, not praying, that are made a pray,
And at thy natiue home find'st greatest harme,
Though dread warne, swiftnesse guide, and strength thee arme,
Thy neerenesse, greatnesse, goodnesse, thee betray.
In the Hauens, great store, and diuers sorts of fish, some at one time of the yeere, and some at another, doe haunt the depthes and shallowes, while the lesser flie the greater, and they also are pursued by a bigger, each preying one vpon another, and all of them accustoming, once in the yeere, to take their kind of the fresh water. They may be diuided into three kinds, shell, flat, and round fish. Of shell fish, there are Wrinkles, Limpets, Cockles, Muscles, Shrimps, Crabs, Lobsters, and Oysters.