[Illustration: _Sir Francis Chantrey, R.A._]
[A] It was a long one, when he talked about fishing.
[B] There the fish did not _lie_, but the miller did. He well knew that, since the letting of the fishery, his son had taken good care that the best of them should be gradually removed to Billingsgate by a more summary process than that of rod and line.
[C] Neither did Mr. Jackson think it necessary to explain to the ladies, or even to his friend Thompson, that the very fine fish, about which he had received so many compliments, had been taken by fixing his landing-net at the mouth of one of the narrow water-courses, up which they had worked their way in search of minnows;--a secret method of ensuring good sport, well known to some few very cunning anglers, whose motto is
"Unde habeas quærit Nemo, sed oportet habere."--JUV.
[D] I understand that Thompson has written a long letter, complaining of my not having given any maxim or hint on this important point. I beg leave here to apologise for the omission; and I have no hesitation in advising him, if he should ever put his rod together again, not to omit taking it to pieces as soon as he has done fishing.
[E] Piscium et summâ genus hæsit ulmo.--HOR.
"_Lorsque je veux, sans y faire semblant, me livrer aux méditations d'une douce philosophie, je vais à la pêche. Ma longue expérience me tient en garde contre les inconveniens d'une mauvaise pratique; et je jouis de mon succès, qu'aucun jaloux ne vient troubler. Ma pêche finie, eh bien! je rentre dans le mouvement de la vie, je fais ma partie d'échecs; je triomphe, mon sang circule; je suis battu, mais je me releve._"--TACTIQUE DES RECREATIONS.
WIN as often as you can, but never make any display of insulting joy on the occasion. When you cannot win--lose (though you may not like it) with good temper.
If your adversary, after you have won a game, wishes to prove that you have done so in consequence of some fault of his rather than by your own good play, you need not enter into much argument on the subject, whilst he is explaining to the by-standers the mode by which he might have won the game, _but did not_.
Nor need you make yourself uneasy if your adversary should console himself by pointing out a mode by which you might have won the game in a shorter and more masterly manner. Listen patiently to his explanation--it cannot prove that your way was not good enough. _Tous les chemins sont bons qui ménent à la victoire._