76 IZAAK WALTON AND HIS FRIENDS 



mention that this event as narrated has been 

 the subject of a great deal of criticism. It is 

 not narrated in the edition of 1670, but appears 

 in the fourth edition of The Life of Donne (1674). 



The history of the publication of the Lives 

 is usually given as follows : — 



In a letter (undated), written by Wotton to 

 Walton as to the promise given by the former 

 to write the life of Donne, Wotton says he will 

 write again and set down certain general heads, 

 "wherein I desire information by your loving 

 diligence ; hoping shortly to enjoy your own 

 ever welcome company in this approaching time 

 of the Fly and the Cork." Wotton dying before 

 he could write the life, Walton published his 

 Life of Donne in 1640, with a collection of his 

 sermons. In 1651 he published the life of 

 Sir Henry Wotton prefixed to the Reliquioe 

 Wottoniance of which he was also the editor. 

 In 1666 Walton published The Life of Richard 

 Hooker, which he wrote at the request of Dr 

 Sheldon, when he was Bishop of London. In 

 1670 he published The Life of George Herbert 

 (together with the other Lives). In 1678 he 

 published The Life of Dr Robert Sanderson. 



The Life of Donne was at first a mere sketch. 

 Walton was always altering and retouching his 

 writings, like a true artist not finding readily 

 "a chisel fine enough to cut the breath of his 



