perstition; a rule without a reason; a venerable, idiotic
fashion invented to repress lively spirits and put a premium on
stupidity.

For my part, I incline rather to the opinion of the Neapolitan fishermen
who maintain that a certain amount of noise, of certain kinds, is likely
to improve the fishing, and who have a particular song, very sweet
and charming, which they sing to draw the fishes around them. It is
narrated, likewise, of the good St. Brandan, that on his notable voyage
from Ireland in search of Paradise, he chanted the service for St.
Peter's day so pleasantly that a subaqueous audience of all sorts and
sizes was attracted, insomuch that the other monks began to be afraid,
and begged the abbot that he would sing a little lower, for they were
not quite sure of the intention of the congregation. Of St. Anthony of
Padua it is said that he even succeeded in persuading the fishes, in
great multitudes, to listen to a sermon; and that when it was ended
(it must be noted that it was both short and cheerful) they bowed their
heads and moved their bodies up and down with every mark of fondness and
approval of what the holy father had spoken.

If we can believe this, surely we need not be incredulous of things
which seem to be no less, but rather more, in harmony with the course
of nature. Creatures who are sensible to the attractions of a sermon can
hardly be indifferent to the charm of other kinds of discourse. I can
easily imagine a company of grayling wishing to overhear a conversation
between I. W. and his affectionate (but somewhat prodigal) son and
servant, Charles Cotton; and surely every intelligent salmon in Scotland
might have been glad to hear Christopher North and the Ettrick
Shepherd bandy jests and swap stories. As for trout,--was there one in
Massachusetts that would not have been curious to listen to the
intimate opinions of Daniel Webster as he loafed along the banks of
the Marshpee,--or is there one in Pennsylvania to-day that might not be
drawn with interest and delight to the feet of Joseph Jefferson,
telling how he conceived and wrote RIP VAN WINKLE on the banks of a
trout-stream?

Fishermen must be silent? On the contrary, it is far more likely that
good talk may promote good fishing.

All this, however, goes upon the assumption that fish can hear, in
the proper sense of the word. And this, it must be confessed, is an
assumption not yet fully verified. Experienced anglers and students of
fi