i66 THE WILD-FLOWERS OF SELBORNE 



The fact, then, now fully estabhshed, of his son-in- 

 law holding preferment at Droxford as well as at 

 Winchester may be taken as the undoubted expla- 

 nation of the connection of these two places in the 

 will of Izaak Walton. With the exception of an 

 occasional visit to Farnham, he passed his closing 

 years — 



" serene and bright, 

 And calm as is a Lapland night," 



in the loving care of his daughter and her husband, 

 sometimes in the Close at Winchester, and sometimes 

 in the rambling old rectory on the banks of the Meon 

 stream. 



And that these visits to Droxford were of more 

 than a mere passing nature may be inferred, not only 

 from the way in which he speaks of his library and 

 belongings, but also from the fact, lately discovered 

 by the writer, that he had more than one intimate 

 friend among the residents there. His books, as 

 already has been noticed, Walton divided between 

 his son and daughter, mentioning, however, one or 

 two volumes for which evidently he had a personal 

 affection. Thus to Dr. Hawkins he gives Dr. Donne s 

 Sermons, which, he adds, " I have heard preacht and 

 read with much content." To his son Izaak he gives 

 ** Dr. Sibbs his Soul's Conflict^^ and to his daughter 

 The Bruised Reed, "desiring them to read them so 

 as to be well acquainted with them." One other 

 individual shares with his children this special mark 

 of Walton's esteem. " I give," we read, " to Mr. 

 John Darbyshire the Sermons of Mr. Anthony Far- 

 ringdon or of Dr. Sanderson, which my executor 

 thinks fit." Moreover, among the friends mentioned 



