128 IZAAK WALTON AND HIS FRIENDS 



his name Izaak, he and others sometimes spelling it 

 with a "k"and sometimes with a "c." In the 

 Prayer-book his son the Canon spells it with a 

 "c." The Canon himself spelt his own name 

 with a *'c." In his marriage licence in the 

 Canterbury Episcopal Register, dated the 27th 

 of December 1626, Walton signs his name with a 

 "c " ; but his will is signed with a "k." 



In Macaulay's History of England, Vol. L, 

 Chapter III., there is a note on the paragraph as 

 to the scarcity of books in country houses in the 

 year 1685 which seems misleading. It is stated ; 

 " Cotton seems, from his Angler, to have found 

 room for his whole library in his hall window ; 

 and Cotton was a man of letters." I fail to find 

 the authority for the statement. In Chapter 

 X. of Part II. oi The Complete Angler, Piscator 

 says : " Walk but into the parlour, you will find 

 one book or other in the window to entertain 

 you the while " ; but surely this is a poor 

 authority to quote to show that Cotton had but 

 few books and that he kept all he possessed in 

 his hall window ! 



With a curious desire to discover defects in 

 Walton's character I have made careful search. 

 The charge against him of cruelty as a fisherman 

 has been referred to in Chapter III. The charge 

 of his having been on one occasion "hufi'y, 

 brought against him by Franck, is almost too 



