IZAAK WALTON AND HIS FRIENDS 127 



In 1891 there was purchased in an old 

 curiosity shop near Westminster Abbey a fishing 

 creel bearing the initials I. W., with the date 1646 

 marked on the side. The purchaser submitted 

 it for examination to experts at the British 

 Museum, who pronounced the creel to be the 

 genuine work of Walton's period, but that the 

 initials had been more or less recently scratched 

 on it. 



By the kind permission of the owner I have 

 been allowed to inspect the creel for myself. 

 Some Jew is supposed to have been guilty of the 

 fraud (see Notes and Queries, 9th S. VII., p. 

 410). Several previous attempts have been made 

 to deceive Waltonians as to Walton's possessions ; 

 as to a clock supposed to have been his, see Notes 

 and Queries, 7th S. XL, p. 459, and 7th S. III., 

 p. 69. 



I have handled Walton's Prayer-book, which is 

 to be seen in the British Museum. It contains 

 his studies for the epitaph of his second wife, 

 which is in Worcester Cathedral. The words 

 "Ex terris M. S. " do not appear and there are 

 various autobiographical notes. The article 

 "the" between "of" and "primitive piety" 

 is an interlineation and "Alas! that she is 

 dead" was originally "Alas! Alas! that she 

 dyed." 



Walton rang the changes over the spelling of 



