IZAAK WALTON. 65 



in a later chapter, and claims note from the fact that 

 its editor had the bad taste, to say the least of it, 

 to tamper with his author, under the idea that by- 

 pruning, amending, and adding to the original text, he 

 was adapting it to the supposedly refined taste of the 

 time. Reverend lovers of old Izaak can only regard 

 Browne's work as next door to sacrilege. In 1760 another 

 editor comes on the stage in the person of Mr. John (after- 

 wards Sir John) Hawkins. Subsequent editions and 

 reprints of Hawkins, which number some twenty-five in 

 all, covering at intervals a period stretching down to 1857, 

 abound with notes, explanatory, critical, historical, and 

 biographical, and much useful miscellaneous information. 

 Moses Browne figures again as a Waltonian editor in 1772, 

 and some interest attaches to his edition of this year, 

 because it is said it was undertaken at the suggestion of 

 Dr. Johnson, who, though ever to be execrated by anglers 

 for his " worm and fool " libel, was one of the foremost 

 admirers of the Complete Angler. Major's first edition was 

 published in 1823, and was followed by another in 1824, both 

 being well supplied with copper-plate and wood engravings, 

 which took the public fancy. The first edition issued by 

 Mr. Pickering, the publisher, dates in the year 1825, and 

 was followed by others from the same house, the most 

 important of which was that of 1835-6, in two grand 

 imperial octavo volumes. It was edited by Sir Harris 

 Nicolas, and profusely illustrated by Stothard and Inskipp. 

 Though open to criticism in some respects, it is a noble 

 tribute to Walton, and must ever remain one of the 

 grandest ornaments of an angler's library. Other editions 

 of Nicolas have been published, and the last, of 1875, will 

 be found an excellent book of general reference on all 

 matters Waltonian. A special feature of the Nicolas 



F 



