Gomesius, _lib. 1. c. 22, de sale_, doth immoderately extol sea-fish, which
others as much vilify, and above the rest, dried, soused, indurate fish, as
ling, fumados, red-herrings, sprats, stock-fish, haberdine, poor-John, all
shellfish. [1362]Tim. Bright excepts lobster and crab. Messarius commends
salmon, which Bruerinus contradicts, _lib. 22. c. 17._ Magninus rejects
conger, sturgeon, turbot, mackerel, skate.

Carp is a fish of which I know not what to determine. Franciscus Bonsuetus
accounts it a muddy fish. Hippolitus Salvianus, in his Book _de Piscium
natura et praeparatione_, which was printed at Rome in folio, 1554, with
most elegant pictures, esteems carp no better than a slimy watery meat.
Paulus Jovius on the other side, disallowing tench, approves of it; so doth
Dubravius in his Books of Fishponds. Freitagius [1363]extols it for an
excellent wholesome meat, and puts it amongst the fishes of the best rank;
and so do most of our country gentlemen, that store their ponds almost with
no other fish. But this controversy is easily decided, in my judgment, by
Bruerinus, _l. 22. c. 13._ The difference riseth from the site and nature
of pools, [1364]sometimes muddy, sometimes sweet; they are in taste as the
place is from whence they be taken. In like manner almost we may conclude
of other fresh fish. But see more in Rondoletius, Bellonius, Oribasius,
_lib. 7. cap. 22_, Isaac, _l. 1_, especially Hippolitus Salvianus, who is
_instar omnium solus_, &c. Howsoever they may be wholesome and approved,
much use of them is not good; P. Forestus, in his medicinal observations,
[1365]relates, that Carthusian friars, whose living is most part fish, are
more subject to melancholy than any other order, and that he found by
experience, being sometimes their physician ordinary at Delft, in Holland.
He exemplifies it with an instance of one Buscodnese, a Carthusian of a
ruddy colour, and well liking, that by solitary living, and fish-eating,
became so misaffected.