_Er._ Know him, ay, as well as I do you.
_Ga._ He instructed me when I was young in these Precepts.
_Er._ You won"t envy me, I hope, if I endeavour to imitate you?
_Ga._ Nay, by that Means you will be much dearer to me. For you know, Familiarity and good Will, are closer ty"d by Similitude of Manners.
_Er._ True, but not among Candidates for the same Office, when they are both sick of the same Disease.
_Ga._ No, nor between two Sweet-hearts of the same Mistress, when they are both sick of the same Love.
_Er._ But without jesting, I"ll try to imitate that Course of Life.
_Ga._ I wish you as good Success as may be.
_Er._ It may be I shall overtake thee.
_Ga._ I wish you might get before me; but in the mean Time I won"t stay for you; but I will every Day endeavour to out-go myself, and do you endeavour to out-go me if you can.
_The ART OF HUNTING._
The ARGUMENT.
_This Colloquy presents you with the Art of Hunting; Fishing, of bringing Earth-Worms out of the Ground, of sticking Frogs._
PAUL, THOMAS, VINCENT, LAWRENCE, BARTHOLUS.
_Pa. Every one to his Mind._ I love Hunting.
_Th._ And so do I too, but where are the Dogs? The hunting Poles? And the hunting Nets?
_Pa._ Farewell Boars, Bears, Bucks, and Foxes, we"ll lay Snares for Rabbets.
_Vi._ But I"ll set Gins for Locusts and Crickets.
_La._ But I"ll catch Frogs.
_Ba._ I"ll hunt b.u.t.terflies.
_La._ "Tis difficult to follow flying Creatures.
_Ba._ It is difficult, but "tis fine Sport; unless you think it finer Sport to hunt after Earth-Worms, Snails or c.o.c.kles, because they have no Wings.
_La._ Indeed I had rather go a Fishing; I have a neat Hook.
_Ba._ But where will you get Baits?
_La._ There are Earth-Worms enough every where to be had.
_Ba._ So there is, if they would but creep out of the Ground to you.
_La._ But I"ll make a great many thousand jump out presently.
_Ba._ How? By Witch-Craft?
_La._ You shall see the Art. Fill this Bucket with Water, break these green Peels of Walnuts to Pieces and put into it: Wet the Ground with the Water. Now mind a little, do you see them coming out?
_Ba._ I see a Miracle. I believe the armed Men started out of the Earth after this Manner from the Serpents Teeth that were sown: But a great many Fish are of too fine and delicate a Palate to be catch"d by such a vulgar Bait.
_La._ I know a certain Sort of an Insect that I us"d to catch such with.
_Ba._ See if you can impose upon the Fishes so, I"ll make work with the Frogs.
_La._ How, with a Net?
_Ba._ No, with a Bow.
_La._ That"s a new Way of Fishing!
_Ba._ But "tis a pleasant one; you"ll say so, when you see it.
_Vi._ What if we two should play at holding up our Fingers?
_Ba._ That"s an idle, clownish Play indeed, fitter for them that are sitting in a Chimney Corner, than those that are ranging in the Field.
_Vi._ What if we should play at Cob-Nut?
_Pa._ Let us let Nuts alone for little Chits, we are great Boys.
_Vi._ And yet we are but Boys for all that.
_Pa._ But they that are fit to play at Cob-Nut, are fit to ride upon a Hobby-Horse.
_Vi._ Well then, do you say what we shall play at; and I"ll play at what you will.
_Pa._ And I"ll be conformable.
_SCHOLASTIC STUDIES._