Piscator
The Tench, the physician of fishes, is observed to love ponds better
than rivers, and to love pits better than either: yet Camden observes,
there is a river in Dorsetshire that abounds with Tenches, but doubtless
they retire to the most deep and quiet places in it.
This fish hath very large fins, very small and smooth scales, a red
circle about his eyes, which are big and of a gold colour, and from
either angle of his mouth there hangs down a little barb. In every
Tench's head there are two little stones which foreign physicians make
great use of, but he is not commended for wholesome meat, though there
be very much use made of them for outward applications. Rondeletius
says, that at his being at Rome, he saw a great cure done by applying a
Tench to the feet of a very sick man. This, he says, was done after an
unusual manner, by certain Jews. And it is observed that many of those
people have many secrets yet unknown to Christians; secrets that have
never yet been written, but have been since the days of their Solomon,
who knew the nature of all things, even from the cedar to the shrub,
delivered by tradition, from the father to the son, and so from
generation to generation, without writing; or, unless it were casually,
without the least communicating them to any other nation or tribe; for
to do that they account a profanation. And, yet, it is thought that
they, or some spirit worse than they, first told us, that lice,
swallowed alive, were a certain cure for the yellow-jaundice. This, and
many other medicines, were discovered by them, or by revelation; for,
doubtless, we attained them not by study.
Well, this fish, besides his eating, is very useful, both dead and
alive, for the good of mankind. But I will meddle no more with that, my
honest, humble art teaches no such boldness: there are too many foolish
meddlers in physick and divinity that think themselves fit to meddle
with hidden secrets, and so bring destruction to their followers. But
I'll not meddle with them, any farther than to wish them wiser; and
shall tell you next, for I hope I may be so bold, that the Tench is the
physician of fishes, for the Pike especially, and that the Pike, being
either sick or hurt, is cured by the touch of the Tench. And it is
observed that the tyrant Pike will not be a wolf to his physician, but
forbears to devour him though he be never so hungry.
This fish, that carries a natural balsam in him to cure both himself and
others, loves yet to feed in very foul water, and amongst weeds. And
yet, I am sure, he eats pleasantly, and, doubtless, you will think so
too, if you taste him. And I shall therefore proceed to give you some
few, and but a few, directions how to catch this Tench, of which I have
given you these observations.
He will bite at a paste made of brown bread and honey, or at a
marsh-worm, or a lob-worm; he inclines very much to any paste with which
tar is mixt, and he will bite also at a smaller worm with his head
nipped off, and a cod-worm put on the hook before that worm. And I doubt
not but that he will also, in the three hot months, for in the nine
colder he stirs not much, bite at a flag-worm or at a green gentle; but
can positively say no more of the Tench, he being a fish I have not
often angled for; but I wish my honest scholar may, and be ever
fortunate when he fishes.
The fourth day-continued
On the Perch