Mastering the art of angling is the way to advance on the path of achieving peace with one’s self, their environment, and God. Izaak Walton’s The Compleat Angler is the one true guide to achieving such perfect peace as it teaches of nature and its potential for spiritual healing. Meanwhile The Rime of the Ancient Mariner works to explain the terrifying power of nature and why it should be respected. Piscator of The Compleat Angler exhibits traits of virtue and honor in his everyday life that become increasingly obvious through his interactions with others and the environment. He asserts, “Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are made for wise men to contemplate and for fools to pass by without consideration”(The Compleat Angler). Like the fool Piscator spoke of, the Mariner of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner showcases an utter disregard for the natural world around him, and, in one fateful moment of poor decision, seals his lamentable fate as well as the violent ends of his crew mates. It is in moments of horridness and vulnerability that the choices one makes are truly important; such a choice is indicative of a person’s strength of will and virtue. Medieval philosopher, Lyonaeus, holds that a person’s capacity for goodness is revealed through the decisions they make, especially difficult decisions. People of an honorable nature will persevere even through the toughest of situations. He professes, “God made man free from the beginning by possessing his own power, even as he does his own soul to obey the commands of God voluntarily and not by compulsion” (Medieval Philosophy 89).  Heavy significance is placed on the power of choice as it has been bestowed upon humanity by God. However, the true power lies in the volitional selection of God above all else and, by association, nature.