THOMAS KEN AND IZAAK WALTON 93 



Salisbury till November 27, 1728, when she died, 

 and lies buried in the cathedral. The Prayer-Book 

 version says she died November 27, 1723 (see 

 Part I. Chap. ii.). 



There is a sort of tradition (for it is nothing 

 more) that Walton was born in a much less 

 imposing house (of which I also give an illustra- 

 tion).^ The chief authority for this is that of " a 

 lady who lived in a house opposite to this one, 

 perhaps a century ago ; she stated that she had 

 always been given to understand that this house 

 was the one Walton was born in." It may have 

 been, and probably was, but nobody knows now, 

 or is likely to know. 



If dear old Izaak Walton could only have fore- 

 seen the perplexities, the searchings and heart- 

 burnings, that his absolute reticence about himself 

 and his family has caused to succeeding generations, 

 one may be quite sure he would have left behind 



' This house is situated in Eastgate Street. Mr. R. B. 

 Marston says Mr. Mazzinghi, librarian of the Salt Library, 

 Stafford, agrees with him that this probably was the residence 

 of Izaak Walton's parents, it being always assumed, with- 

 out sufficient ground, that they were poor people. And yet 

 Izaak's father was a friend of the learned Isaac Casaubon, 

 who was buried in Westminster Abbey. The house has 

 long been used as a coach-house and stable. 



