The innocent epicure, or, The art of angling a poem.
About this Item
- Title
- The innocent epicure, or, The art of angling a poem.
- Author
- J. S., fl. 1697.
- Publication
- London :: Printed for S. Crouch, H. Playford and W. Brown ...,
- 1697.
- Rights/Permissions
-
To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
- Subject terms
- Fishing -- Poetry.
- Link to this Item
-
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A62957.0001.001
- Cite this Item
-
"The innocent epicure, or, The art of angling a poem." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A62957.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 1, 2025.
Pages
Page [unnumbered]
PREFACE.
THE Copy of this Poem being sent to me from the Unknown Author, with Commission to Publish or Suppress it, as I thought fitting; his Indifference about the matter convinc'd me that he was a Gentleman who wrote it for his Diversion, or at least in Kindness to Those who are Lovers of that Ingenious and Innocent Recreatio••, concern∣ing which he has made so judicious Observa∣tions. I immediately communicated the sight of his Manuscript to s••••eral Experienc'd An∣glers, (and some of 'em no Enemies to the Muses,) who agreed in their Opinions, That notwithstanding the Confin••m••nt th••t Verse
Page [unnumbered]
lays upon a Writer, it far excels any thing that has been publish'd in Prose upon this Subject, even in the Useful and Instructive Part of the Work. They assur'd me, That it contains all the necessary Rules that have yet been delivered; and those Rules digested into a much better Method; together with several Uncommon and Surprizing Re∣marks, which many who are reputed Ar∣tists at the Sport, may receive Advan∣tage by.
This was All that seem'd needful to be said of the Performance, with relation to the Angler's business; and in reference to the Poetry, 'tis certain that every man will judge for himself: And doubtless the modest∣est Account that I can give of it, will be most acceptable to an Author who conceals his Name.
Page [unnumbered]
The Cast and Design of the Work are af∣ter the Model of Ancient and best received Poets on such Arguments: The Style lively, and as elevated as was proper for the Matter of which he treats, and discovers a Genius capable of managing a greater Subject: The Numbers are smooth and easy; and if there is not always a ••ervi••e Strictness of Rhyme, that seems to me a Iudicious Negligence (in •• Pi•••••• where Nature 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to have the Ascendant), and becoming a Gentleman who wrote for his Pleasure, and makes not Poetry his Profession.
His Digressions, as they were necessary to relieve the Dryness of prescribing Directi∣ons, so are they Sensible and Entertaining.
I have only this to add, That since the Author's Scene lies in the Countrey, in the
Page [unnumbered]
Solitude of Rivers and Meadows, I presume there needs no Apology for Publishing here∣with so good a Copy of that Original Land∣skip of Retirement, which was long since so admirably drawn by Horace. Nor can any Contempla••ive Person be offended at my pub∣lishing of Both, since they were Both com∣mitted to my Disposal.
N. TATE.