COTTON AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES. 57 



together, which thank heaven they never did, 

 there is no subject on which they could have 

 agreed except fishing, and there would have 

 been broken heads over that. Let us see who 

 they were. 



First of all there is Captain Richard 

 Franck,* Cromwellian trooper and Indepen- 

 dent, fisherman and religious mystic, possessor 

 of the most turgid and pedantic style with 

 which mortal was ever afflicted. Sir Walter 

 Scott, who brought out an edition of his book, 

 says that his only equal in the rage of fine writ- 

 ing is Sir Thomas Urquhart, but as I have 

 never read that famous translator of Rabelais, 

 I give the palm to Franck, who is unsur- 

 passable. The style of the book may be judged 

 from its title : Northern Memoirs, Calculated 

 for the Meridian of Scotland. Wherein most 

 or all of the Cities, Citadels, Seaports, Castles, 

 Forts, Fortresses, Rivers and Rivulets are com- 

 pendiously described. Together with choice 

 Collections of Various Discoveries, Remark- 

 able Observations, Theological Notions, Politi- 

 cal Axioms, National Intrigues, Polemick In- 

 ferences, Contemplations, Speculations and 

 several curious and industrious Inspections, 

 lineally drawn from Antiquaries, and other 

 noted and intelligible Persons of Honour and 

 Eminency. To which is added, The Contem- 

 plative and Practical Angler by way of Diver- 



*Franck's book was not actually published till 1694, but it 

 was written in 1658 to which date it belongs. 



