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EDITOR'S NOTE 



"Whedier we consider the elegant sim- 

 plicity of the style, the ease and unaffected 

 humour of the dialogue, the lovely scenes 

 which it delineates, the enchanting pastoral 

 poetry which it contains, or the fine morality 

 it so sweetly inculcates, it has hardly its 

 fellow in any of the modern languages." 



This simple and concise estimate of The 

 Compleat Angler was written in 1760, and 

 admirably expresses the feelings of all lovers 

 of literature towards Izaak Walton's famous 

 work. Charles Lamb merely added to the 

 roll of its acknowledged merits when, in a 

 letter to Coleridge, he said "it would 

 sweeten a man's temper at any time to read 

 it." 



Although Walton was a linen-draper, his 

 tastes were far removed from the shop- 

 counter. His hours of recreation were passed 

 by the river-side or in the congenial company 

 of cultured friends, and as soon as he had 

 saved enough money to supply his modest 

 needs he retired from business. He died in 

 1 683 at the age of ninety. 



The Compleat Angler was published in 

 Walton's sixtieth year, and among the friends 

 which its publication brought him was 

 Charles Cotton, a young country gentleman, 

 whose name must ever be associated with that 

 of Walton. Cotton was an enthusiastic fly- 

 fisherman, and at Walton's request con- 

 tributed to the fifth edition of the book the 

 famous Second Part, which ever since has 

 borne his name. Cotton, who was born in 

 1630, became Walton's adopted son, and 

 died in 1 687. 



