Talk:The Secrets of Angling

Edits for detail
The following information is being edited for detail, per WP:Detail

The first three verse s of Book 1 give an idea of the style and scope of the work:

Of angling and the art thereof I sing

What kind of tools it doth behove to have

And with what pleasing bayt a man may bring

The fish to bite within the watry wave.

A work of thanks to such as in a thing

Of harmless pleasure have regard to save

Their dearest soules from sinne and may intend

Of pretious time some part thereon to spend.

You Nymphs that in the springs and waters sweet

Your dwelling have of every hill and dale

And oft amidst the meadows greene doe meet

To sport and play and hear the Nightingale

And in the rivers fresh doe wash your feet

While Progne's sister tels her woeful tale

Such ayde and power unto my verses lend.

And thou sweet Boyd that with thy watry sway

Dost wash the cliffes of Deington and of Weeke

And through their rocks with crooked winding way

Thy Mother Avon runnest soft to seek

In whose fair streams the speckled trout doth play

The roche the dace the gudgin and the bleeke

Teach me the skill with slender line and hook

to take each fish of river pond and brook.

Note: the third verse is in the John Dennys article.

All 4 early editions of The Secrets of Angling were published anonymously, being imprinted on the title pages simply "By I.D. Esquire." The work had been published 4 years posthumously, as the publisher Roger Jackson explains at the start of his dedication in the first edition :"This poeme being sent to me to be printed after the death of the Author, who intended to have done it in his life, but was prevented by death". The first to publish a guess at the author's true name was Izaak Walton, in his 5th. edition (1676) of The Complete Angler, where his character "Piscator" ascribes the poem he is about to quote to a certain "Jo.(i.e. John) Davors" (about whose existence nothing is known). Following Walton's lead, the poem continued generally to be attributed to Davors, but was attributed to the great John Donne in 1706 by Robert Howlett, and to 6 different poets called John Davies at various times. In 1811 the original copyright entry in the Register of the Stationers Company in London, dated 1612, recording the publisher's payment of 6 pence, was discovered by Sir Henry Ellis, future Chief Librarian at the British Museum, which revealed the author's name as John Dennys. 1612, Feb.28 (23rd. March 1612/13 per Arber)

Mr. Rog. Jackson entred for his copie under thands of Mr. Mason and Mr.Warden Hooper a Booke called the Secrets of Angling, teaching the choysest tooles, bates, & seasons for the taking of any fish in pond or river, pracktised and opened in three Bookes, by JOHN DENNYS, Esquier. vj d. Yet still nothing was known of his life until 1836 when the antiquary Sir Harris Nicolas, prompted by information from James Williamson the fisherman and bibliographer, published his identification with a family from Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire, 7 miles E. of Bristol, known as "Dennis" (or "Denys" before about 1600), established in the vicinity in 1380 by Sir Gilbert Denys until 1701. In the environs of this village are found geographical features apparently known to Mr Williamson who may have fished there, including the River Boyd, a tributary of which runs through the former lands of the Dennis family, flowing S.W. through the villages of Doynton and Wick with its rocky cliffs, into the Avon past Bitton, near Bristol, many of which places are mentioned in the third verse of the poem, in antique spelling. Yet Nicolas had nevertheless confused John Dennys with his eponymous grandfather, albeit having stated his date of death correctly as 1609. A descendant of the Dennis family, H.B. Tomkins had a letter published in 1869 correcting the pedigree, but it seems to have been missed by the piscatorial bibliographers. It was not until 1881 that Thomas Westwood finally published the fully accurate identity of the poet, on information provided by the local antiquarian Rev. H.N. Ellacombe, Vicar of Bitton, corroborated by his tardy notice of Tomkins's letter.

John "Dennys", as he has become immortalized in literary circles due to his publisher's mis-spelling, was in private life John Dennis Esq., Lord of the Manor of Pucklechurch, whose family had first been established in the vicinity at Siston Court. His will of 1609 is extant, which fits perfecly with his publisher's statement that the work was published posthumously in 1613. From clues in his poem, he appears to have been a man who followed only reluctantly the social conventions of his age, preferring a simple life close to nature to mixing in the high society to which he was born or to playing a role in county administration. This was unusual as his family had produced more Sheriffs of Gloucestershire than any other, and indeed both his father and son fulfilled that role.
 * Mostly biographival info
 * Appears to be original research
 * Deny family

Izaak Walton quoted, with alterations, 6 verses of Dennys's work, in his "Compleat Angler", 1653 edition, part first, chapter 1:

These were the thoughts that then possessed the undisturbed mind of Sir Henry Wotton. Will you hear the wish of another Angler, and the commendation of his happy life, which he also sings in verse: viz. Jo. Davors, Esq.?

Let me live harmlessly, and near the brink

Of Trent or Avon have a dwelling-place

Where I may see my quill, or cork, down sink

With eager bite of Perch, or Bleak, or Dace;

And on the world and my Creator think:

Whilst some men strive ill-gotten goods t' embrace;

And others spend their time in base excess

Of wine. or worse. in war and wantonness

Let them that list, these pastimes still pursue,

And on such pleasing fancies feed their fill;

So I the fields and meadows green may view,

And daily by fresh rivers walk at will

Among the daisies and the violets blue,

Red hyacinth, and yellow daffodil,

Purple Narcissus like the morning rays,

Pale gander-grass, and azure culver-keys.

I count it higher pleasure to behold

The stately compass of the lofty sky;

And in the midst thereof, like burning gold,

The flaming chariot of the world's great eye:

The watery clouds that in the air up-roll'd

With sundry kinds of painted colours fly;

And fair Aurora, lifting up her head,

Still blushing, rise from old Tithonus' bed.

The hills and mountains raised from the plains,

The plains extended level with the ground

The grounds divided into sundry veins,

The veins inclos'd with rivers running round;

These rivers making way through nature's chains,

With headlong course, into the sea profound;

The raging sea, beneath the vallies low,

Where lakes, and rills, and rivulets do flow:

The lofty woods, the forests wide and long,

Adorned with leaves and branches fresh and green,

In whose cool bowers the birds with many a song,

Do welcome with their quire the summer's Queen;

The meadows fair, where Flora's gifts, among

Are intermix", with verdant grass between;

The silver-scaled fish that softly swim

Within the sweet brook's crystal, watery stream.

All these, and many more of his creation

That made the heavens, the Angler oft doth see;

Taking therein no little delectation,

To think how strange, how wonderful they be:

Framing thereof an inward contemplation

To set his heart from other fancies free;

And whilst he looks on these with joyful eye,

His mind is rapt above the starry sky.

Sir, I am glad my memory has not lost these last verses, because they are somewhat more pleasant and more suitable to May-day than my harsh discourse. And I am glad your patience hath held out so long as to hear them and me, for both together have brought us within the sight of the Thatched House. And I must be your debtor, if you think it worth your attention, for the rest of my promised discourse, till some other opportunity, and a like time of leisure.

Dennys's original version is as follows, verses 36-41 of book 1:

O let me rather on the pleasant Brinke

Of Tyne and Trent possesse some dwelling-place

Where I may see my Quill and Corke downe sinke

With eager bit of Barbill Bleike or Dace

And on the World and his Creator thinke

While they proud Thais' painted sheat imbrace

And with the fume of strong Tobacco's smoke

All quaffing round are ready for to choke

Let them that list these pastimes then pursue

And on their pleasing fancies feede their fill

So I the Fields and Meadowes greene may view

And by the Rivers fresh may walke at will

Among the Dayzes and the Violets blew

Red Hyacinth and yealow Daffadill

Purple Narcissus like the morning rayes

Pale Ganderglas and azour Culuerkayes

I count it better pleasure to behold

The goodly compasse of the loftie Skye

And in the midst thereof like burning gold

The flaming Chariot of the worlds great eye

The watry cloudes that in the ayre uprold

With sundry kindes of painted collours flie

And fayre Aurora lifting up her head

And blushing rise from old Thitonus' bed

The hills and Mountaines rais-ed from the Plaines

The plaines extended levell with the ground

The ground devided into sundry vaines

The vaines inclos'd with running rivers rounde

The rivers making way through nature's chaine

With headlong course into the sea profounde

The surging sea beneath the valleys low

The valleys sweet and lakes that lonely flowe

The lofty woods the forrests wide and long

Adorn'd with leaves and branches fresh and greene

In whose coole bow'rs the birds with chaunting song

Doe welcome with thin quire the Summer's Queene

The meadowes faire where Flora's guifts among

Are intermixt the verdant grasse betweene

The silver skal-ed fish that softlie swimme

Within the brookes and Cristall watry brimme

All these and many more of his creation

That made the heavens the Angler oft doth see,

And takes therein no little delectation

To think how strange and wonderfull they be

Framing thereof an inward contemplation

To set his thoughts from other fancies free

And whiles hee lookes on these with joyfull eye

His minde is rapt above the starry skye.

==Bibliography== ===First edition 1613=== Universally identified as STC(2nd ed.)6611, ESTC System No. 006184901; ESTC Citation No. S113570.

The English Short Title Catalogue (ESTC) lists 4 copies: Title page: "The Secrets of Angling : Teaching, The choisest Tooles Baytes and seasons, for the taking of any fish, in Pond or River: practised and familiarly opened in three Bookes. By I.D.Esquire ". Below which is a woodcut illustration (untitled) of Satan and the Virtuous Angler. Below which: "Printed at London, for Roger Jackson , and are to be sould at his shop neere Fleetstreet Conduit, 1613". 8vo.(i.e.octavo) 30 leaves. It seems that only 3 perfect copies exist in 2010.
 * 1) British Library (Shelfmark: C.123.b.31). Confirmed by BL Integrated Catalogue.
 * 2) Bodleian Library (Shelfmark not given). OLIS (Oxford) Catalogue gives : 8vo.D 15 Art.; Local Control No. 14846634
 * 3) Yale University Sterling Memorial (Beinecke) Library (Shelfmark not given). ORBIS (Yale) Catalogue gives: Call No.Uzk23 613d
 * 4) Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC (Shelfmark: STC 6611; HH26). Confirmed by HAMNET, Folger Catalogue: "Cropped at foot with loss of imprint. Contains bookplate of Alfred Denison; sold by Sothebys, 4/11/1935. Harmsworth copy".

Provenance

In 1910 one copy was in the Bodleian, (no doubt the copy held from before 1806, in 1865 and 1883) from which J.Turrell made a photographic facsimilie of the title page, published in Ancient Angling Authors, 1910. In 1865 1 was in the Bodleian, having been held from before 1806, given by John Davies of Kidwelly; 1 was in the possession of Mr Toovey, Bookseller, having been purchased in the sale of Mr Prince's library in 1858. It was stated to have the date imprint cut off (by the binder); A third was also held by Mr Toovey, having been purchased for £18, complete and uncut. In 1883 1 was still in the Bodleian; 1 was owned by Henry Huth (from which Edward Arber published a reprint in The English Garner, London, 1877). In 1880 it was listed thus in Huth's catalogue: "The edges uncut...with a large cut on the title."; 1 was owned by Alfred Denison. Several imperfect copies existed in 1883.

===Second edition c. 1620=== (STC (2nd.ed.)6611.5) The ESTC (2010) lists 2 copies: There appears however to be a 3rd., held by Harvard University, of which an electronic reproduction is held by Yale, described in ORBIS as "Imperfect, illustrated title page, title page imprint cropped". Title page contains the additional words: "Augmented with many approved experiments by W. Lauson", which consist of detailed footnotes by William Lauson, elucidating the text for the practical use of anglers. The same woodcut illustration as the 1st. edition is shown, below which: "Printed at London for Roger Jackson, and are to be sould..."(location of bookshop and date cut-off).
 * 1) British Library (shelfmark not given) described as "Imperfect, title page imprint cropped" . BL Integrated Catalogue gives: Shelfmark: C.142.c.13 ".
 * 2) Corpus Christi College Library, Oxford (Shelfmark not given).

During the original binding the bottom of the title page, containing the date, was cut off. Its date of 1620 has been conjectured by Thos. Westwood and followed by STC. 35 leaves, 8vo.

Provenance.In 1865 a cropped copy was in the possession of Thomas Westwood; in 1883 it was owned by Alfred Denison. Only one copy of the 2nd.ed. was believed by Westwood to exist in 1883.

===Third edition 1630/(1635)=== STC (2nd.ed.)6612; ESTC Citation No.S113571; ESTC System No. 006184902.

The ESTC lists 2 copies:
 * 1) British Library, no Shelfmark quoted. On the contrary the Integrated Catalogue of the BL(2010) lists only copies of 1613, 1620 and 1652.
 * 2) Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC. (Shelfmark/Call No.STC 6612). HAMNET, Folger Library Catalogue: Location: Deck B-STC Vault; HH25. Described as "Title page cropped at fore-edge and foot, affecting title and imprint. Bookplate of Alfred Denison. Sothebys sale 4/11/1935. Harmsworth copy". 5½" by 3⅛".  A copy exists on microfilm (Ann Arbor UMI,1956:679:03).

Title page text: "The Secrets of Angling Teaching, The choisest Tooles, Baytes and Seasons, for the taking (of any) Fish, in Pond or River: practised and familiarly ope(ned) in three Bookes.By I.D. Esquire. Augmented with many approved experiments. By W. Lauson (in verse)". Woodcut of cruder quality than 1st and 2nd editions of (probably) "Satan and the Virtuous Angler". Satan: "Hold hooke and line, then all is mine"; Virtuous Angler: "Well feare the Pleasure That yeelds such treasure". Below woodcut: "Printed at London, for John Jackson , and are to be sou(ld at) his Shop in the Strand, at the signe of the P(arote, 1630)".

Provenance. In 1883 there was only 1 known integral copy of this edition, owned by Alfred Denison, probably bought from Grace's for £3 10s. In 1865 Westwood had reported that he had a 3rd. ed., then considered unique, with the date cut off, the title page of which read: "Printed at London for John Jackson...". In 1869 William Pinkerton gave proof of the publication date as he had found a catalogue entry in the British Museum listed as: "Printed, in 8vo. for John Jackson, in the Strand, at the Signe of the parote, 1630". It is not certain that he saw the book itself, which presumably was the one which came into the Denison collection. The STC catalogue conjectures a publication date of 1635. The whereabouts of the integral copy appears at present unknown.

===Fourth edition 1652=== ESTC Citation No.R208975; ESTC System No. 006115756; Wing (2nd.ed.1994) D1051A; Thomason E.1294(4)

The ESTC (in 2010) lists 4 copies:


 * 1) British Library (Shelfmark E.1294(4)). Confirmed by BL Integrated Catalogue which also lists C.31.a.43, which may imply a 2nd. copy. Copynote: "Title page trimmed affecting text".
 * 2) Bodleian Library (no shelfmark given). On the contrary the OLIS (Oxford) catalogue (in 2010) lists only the 1613 edition.
 * 3) Yale University (Beinecke) Library (Shelfmark: Uzk23 652d). Confimed in ORBIS (Yale) catalogue.
 * 4) Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston (no shelfmark given). ABIGAIL (MHS) Catalogue gives: Call No. Winthrop Lib. Pamphlets.

Title page: " THE Secrets of Angling : TEACHING The choicest Tooles, Baits and seasons, for the taking of any Fish, in Pond or River : practised, and familiarly opened in three Bookes. By J.D. Esquire . Augmented with many approved exp(eri)ments. By W. Lauson". Below is an illustration, being the bookseller's mark "The Hare and the Sun", a pun on "Harison". Annotated in a 16th-century hand "April 6". Below which: " London , Printed by T.H. for John Har(ison,) and are to be sold by Francis Coles, a(t) his Shop in the Old Bayly. 1652." The woodcut illustration from the 1st. and 2nd. eds. reappears in the 4th. ed., but as a separate frontispiece. 36 leaves, 8vo.

Provenance. Several copies of it were extant in 1883, per Westwood, 2 being held by the British Museum, and 1 by Alfred Denison. In 1807 Mr Douce held 1 and the British Museum another "less perfect copy".

===Reprints=== Reprints were made (large citations only) in 1809 Censura Litteraria, vol X, ed. Sir Egerton Brydges; in 1811, in full, (of 1652 ed.) edited by Sir Henry Ellis; in 1812 (of 1652 ed.) reprinted in Sir Egerton Brydges' "British Bibliographer", with 100 copies struck off separately; in 1813 the reprint in Censura Litteraria was reprinted by Daniel in the supplement to his Rural Sports; in 1877 a reprint appeared in Mr Arber's "English Garner, vol I; in 1883 , London (of 1613 ed.) with Introduction by Thomas Westwood; in 1885 , Edinburgh, with Introduction by "Piscator", probably Edmund Goldsmid.

Woodcut illustrations
The First Edition of 1613 contains within its title page an illustration of two men fishing. The one in the left foreground wears Elizabethan hose and doublet, his hat at a jaunty angle, and has a freshly caught fish suspended on the end of his line. The second man in the right background, on the opposite bank of the stream, wears a long ceremonial fur-edged robe over his hose, a monogrammed hat and medallion on a chain, treads on a serpent with his right foot (seemingly a reference to Luke 10:19) and appears to proffer to the first man across the stream a large terrestrial globe hanging from his line as bait. On a scroll from the mouth of the robed man comes the couplet: "Hold hooke and line, then all is mine." It is likely the latter represents Satan, using the World to hook the unwary (Matthew, 4:8-9). The Virtuous Angler, engrossed in his morally upright and philosophical pastime, as expounded by Dennys, ignores the bait offered, appearing immune to such temptations. On a scroll out of the mouth of the Virtuous Angler, rejoicing in his catch, comes by way of reply of rejection the following couplet : "Well fayre the plesure, that bringes such treasure". There is a reference similar to Satan's words in Shakespeare, Henry IV Part II, Act II, Scene IV, where the first half only of the couplet is quoted, no doubt leaving the audience to mentally complete what was probably a contemporary cliché: Pistol:"I'll see her damned first;-to Pluto's damned lake, by this hand, to the infernal deep, with Erebus and tortures vile also. Hold hook and line, say I. Down, down, dogs." The words are also used by Ben Johnson in The Case is Alter'd(1609). The line probably originated in some older popular ballad, such as "The Royal Recreation of Joviall Anglers", which includes the verse: When Eve and Adam liv'd by love, and had no cause for jangling,

The Devil did the waters move, the serpent fell to angling:

He baits his hook with godlike look quoth he this will entangle her:

The woman chops and down she drops: The Devil was the first angler. The ballad was printed with an illustration for frontispiece in which one of the figures has the identical couplet "Hold hook and line, then all is mine" proceeding from his mouth. No doubt the significance of the line would have been understood immediately by the first readers as a reference to a menacing character in contemporary popular culture. The same woodcut illustration appeared on the 2nd. edition title page, but a new woodcut was used for the 3rd. of the same design, but badly executed, showing the Virtuous Angler wearing a modernised style of hat with broad brim. In the 4th. ed. the original woodcut illustration re-appeared, but as a frontispiece separate from the title page.

Any comments or thoughts about this?-- CaroleHenson  ( talk ) 04:55, 11 July 2013 (UTC)

Information removed for detail and potential original research
The following has been removed:
 * The manor lay on a tributary of the River Cherwell, and Harborne may well have been a fisherman himself, whose approbation Jackson sought to promote sales of the book. Jackson published in 1623 a plan of Harborne's water garden in its completed state, by Gervase Markham in his 3rd. ed. of "Cheap and Good Husbandry for the Well ordering of all Beasts and Fowls".
 * This seems to be getting off track of the topic of the article, the book The Secrets of Angling and likely better served in an article about Harborne's manor - or Harborne himself. There are also what appears to be original research.

Are there any comments or thoughts about this?-- CaroleHenson  ( talk ) 05:47, 11 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Speaking generally, it looks like you've done another great job of pruning out the unreferenced material here, Carole. A slight criticism might be that the surviving text has become rather choppy. But that's not so important since the meanings are clear and it can be easily rectified. HTH. —S MALL  JIM   22:23, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Ok, thanks for the input!-- CaroleHenson  ( talk ) 23:12, 15 July 2013 (UTC)