this to me, told me he saw it, and did declare his
belief to be (and I also believe the same) that he thought the other
_Carps_ that were so strangely lost, were so killed by _Frogs_, and then
devoured.

But I am faln into this discourse by accident, of which I might say
more, but it has proved longer then I intended, and possibly may not to
you be considerable; I shall therefore give you three or four more
short observations of the _Carp_, and then fall upon some directions
how you shall fish for him.

The age of _Carps_ is by S. _Francis Bacon_ (in his History of Life and
Death) observed to be but ten years; yet others think they live longer:
but most conclude, that (contrary to the _Pike_ or _Luce_) all _Carps_
are the better for age and bigness; the tongues of _Carps_ are noted to
be choice and costly meat, especially to them that buy them; but
_Gesner_ sayes, _Carps_ have no tongues like other fish, but a piece of
flesh-like-fish in their mouth like to a tongue, and may be so called,
but it is certain it is choicely good, and that the _Carp_ is to be
reckoned amongst those leather mouthed fish, which I told you have
their teeth in their throat, and for that reason he is very seldome
lost by breaking his hold, if your hook bee once stuck into his chaps.

I told you, that Sir _Francis Bacon_ thinks that the _Carp_ lives but
ten years; but _Janus Dubravius_ (a _Germane_ as I think) has writ a
book in Latine of Fish and Fish Ponds, in which he sayes, that _Carps_
begin to Spawn at the age of three yeers, and continue to do so till
thirty; he sayes also, that in the time of their breeding, which is in
Summer when the Sun hath warmed both the earth and water, and so apted
them also for generation, that then three or four Male _Carps_ will
follow a Female, and that then she putting on a seeming coyness, they
force her through weeds and flags, where she lets fall her eggs or
Spawn, which sticks fast to the weeds, and then they let fall their
Melt upon it, and so it becomes in a short time to be a living fish;
and, as I told you, it is thought the _Carp_ does this several months
in the yeer, and most believe that most fish breed after this manner,
except the Eele: and it is thought that all _Carps_ are not bred by
generation, but that some breed otherwayes, as some _Pikes_ do.

* * * * *

Much more might be said out of him, and out of _Aristotle_, which
_Dubravius_ often quotes in his Dis