114 THE COMPLETE ANGLER 



triving plots, then we sit on cowslip-banks, hear the birds 

 sing, and possess ourselves in as much quietness as these 

 silent silver streams, which we now see glide so quietly 

 by us. Indeed, my good scholar, we may say of angling, 

 as Dr. Boteler said of strawberries, " Doubtless God could 

 have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did : " 

 and so, if I might be judge, " God never did make a more 

 calm, quiet, innocent recreation, than angling." 



I'll tell you, scholar, when I sat last on this primrose- 

 bank, and looked down these meadows, I thought of 

 them, as Charles the emperor did of the city of Florence, 

 " That they were too pleasant to be looked on, but only 

 on holidays." As I then sat on this very grass, I turned 

 my present thoughts into verse : 'twas a wish, which I'll 

 repeat to you.* 



ZTbe Hnoler's Wiisb 



I in these flowery meads would be : 



These crystal streams should solace me ; 



To whose harmonious bubbling noise 



I with my angle would rejoice, 

 Sit here, and see the turtle-dove 

 Court his chaste mate to acts of love : 



Or, on that bank, feel the west wind 

 Breathe health and plenty ; please my mind, 

 To see sweet dewdrops kiss these flowers, 

 And then wash'd off by April showers ; 

 Here, hear my Kenna f sing a song ; a 

 There, see a blackbird feed her young, 

 [a "Like Hermit Poor."] 



* We have here little less than Walton's own word for it, that the 

 following beautiful stanzas are of his writing. That he had in his 

 mind a vein of poetry is noted in our life of him ; to which let me 

 add, that the name of his supposed mistress, " Kenna," seems clearly 

 to be formed from the maiden-name of his wife, which was Ken. H. 



t We see, by the author's reference to the margin, that he wishes 

 to hear Kenna, his mistress, sing the song, " Like Hermit Poor." 

 This song was set to music by Nich. Laneare, an eminent master of 

 Walton's time. 



There is no doubt that this song was (and probably with Mrs. 



