Introduction xxxr 



A more important source is The Treatyse of Fyssk- 

 ynge wyth an Angle, commonly attributed to Dame 

 Juliana Barnes (printed at Westminster, 1496). 

 A manuscript, probably of 1430-1450, has been 

 published by Mr. Satchell (London, 1883). This 

 book may be a translation of an unknown French 

 original. It opens : 



"Soloman in hys paraboles seith that a glad spirit maket a 

 flowryng age. That ys to sey, a feyre age and a longe" (like 

 Walton's own), *' and sith hyt ys so I aske this question, wyche 

 bynne the menys and cause to reduce a man to a mery spryte." 

 The angler "schall have hys holsom walke and mery at hys 

 owne ease, and also many a sweyt eayr of divers erbis and flowres 

 that schall make hym ryght hongre and well disposed in hys body. 

 He schall heyr the melodies melodious of the ermony of byrde : 

 he schall se also the yong swannes and signetes folowing ther 

 eyrours, duckes, cootes, herons, and many other fowlys with ther 

 brodys, wyche me semyt better then all the noyse of houndes, and 

 blastes of homes and other gamys that fawkners or hunters can 

 make, and yf the angler take the fyssche, hardly then ys ther no 

 man meryer then he in his sprites." 



This is the very " sprite " of Walton ; this has that ^ 

 vernal and matutinal air of opening European litera- 

 ture, full of birds' music, and redolent of dawn. 

 This is the note to which the age following Walton 

 would not listen. 



In matter of fact, again, Izaak follows the ancient 

 Treatise. We know his jury of twelve flies: the 

 Treatise says: 



11 These ben the xij flyes wyth whyche ye shall angle to the 

 trought and graylling, and dubbe like as ye shall now here me tell. 



" Marche. The donne fly, the body of the donne woll, and the 

 wyngis of the pertryche. Another donne flye, the body of blacke 

 woll, the wyngis of the blackyst drake; and the lay under the 

 wynge and under the tayle." 



Walton has : 



" The first is the dun fly in March : the body is made of dun 

 wool, the wings of the partridge's feathers. The second is 

 another dun fly : the body of black wool ; and the wings made 

 of the black drake's feathers, and of the feathers under his tail." 





