xxvi INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 



Walton forms the best evidence we have of his 

 naturally amiable disposition, and a more honourable, 

 if not a more certain immortality, is, on his part, the 

 issue of this ever-memorable friendship — and yet it 

 has been recently and justly observed, that a judicious 

 selection of his poems would stamp him as first rate 

 with the present age ; though his capacity to vie 

 with the most licentious wits of his own times, in- 

 jured his performances, taken as a whole — his muse 

 was truly " fond to inspire" if sometimes " ashamed 

 to avow" — he flew to his pen upon all occasions, and 

 was so ready at it, that he could disclose all his 

 troubles, and his own noble, generous, jovial, and 

 even thankful temper in half a score lines, as in the 

 following part of an epistle to his friend Sir Clifford 

 Clifton. 



" He's good fellow enough to do every one right, 

 And never was first that ask'd, what time of night ; 

 His delight is to toss the cann merrily round, 

 And loves to he wet, hut hates to be drown'd ; 

 He fain would be just, but sometimes he cannot, 

 Which gives him the trouble that other men ha' not, 

 He honours his friend, but he wants means to show it, 

 And loves to be rhyming, but is the worst poet. 

 Yet among all these vices, to give him his due, 

 He has virtue to be a true lover of you ; 

 But how much he loves you, he says you may guess it, 

 Since nor prose nor yet metre, he swears can express it !" 



Right pithily, also, has honest Charles anticipated 

 as full a reply as will ever be necessarv, to all revilers 

 of his favourite recreation — 



