64 LITER A TURE OF SEA AND RIVER FISHING. 



" much enlarged," indeed almost rewritten by the author ; 

 commendatory verses by seven writers are for the first 

 time inserted ; a third interlocutor in the person of 

 Anceps is introduced ; and Venator is substituted for 

 Viator. It has been surmised that these characters 

 were suggested to Walton by the work of Heresbach, 

 mentioned in the last chapter. The third and fourth 

 editions appeared in 1661 and 1668, corrected and en- 

 larged, but not to the same extent as that of 1655. We 

 now come to the fifth and very important edition, from 

 the fact that it was the last in which Walton had a hand, 

 or which was published in his lifetime. It appeared in 

 1676. Seven years later, and the old man laid down his 

 pen as he had already laid aside his rod, and full of years 

 and honours was gathered to his rest. This edition was in 

 three parts, which, as indicated on the title-page, might 

 " be bound together or sold each of them severally." The 

 first part was Walton's own Complete Angler ; the second 

 consisted of histrtictions hoiv to Angle for a Trout or 

 Grayling in a Clear Stj'eam, written at the request of 

 Walton by his intimate friend, and brother angler Charles 

 Cotton, of Beresford ; and the third, The Experienced 

 Angler, by Colonel Robert Venables. The whole were 

 comprised under the title of The Universal A ngler. These 

 five editions together not very long ago realised over ;^ioo, 

 but this is probably a little above their market value. 



Except on the supposition that Walton's work for 

 an interval lacked appreciation, or that the sport of 

 angling did not increase in popularity, it is difficult 

 to account for the great gap between the fifth edition of 

 1657 and the sixth, which did not make its appearance till 

 1750. This last was the work of the Rev. Moses Browne, 

 the author of Piscatory Eclogues, to whom we shall refer 



