Proposed Memorial of Walton. 113 



in my edition of the Angler]. From this 

 note, dated October 23rd, 1676, it appears 

 that Walton bought the property in 1656, 

 and had " had peaceable possession of it 

 twenty-two years." 



Walton's description and bequeathal of 

 this property are given in his will. He 

 left it to his son Izaak, and in the event, 

 as happened, of his death without issue 

 to the corporation of Stafford, "for the 

 good and benefit of the said town."* 



Hearing later from the Mayor of Stafford 

 that he had been obliged to abandon the 



* PROPOSED MEMORIAL OF WALTON IN LONDON. 



Since these lines were written the Mayor of 

 Stafford has consulted me with respect to the 

 celebration in this country of the tercentenary 

 of Walton's birth. On a previous page I have 

 referred to what they propose to do in America. 

 He said that Mr. Andrew Lang had been 

 asked to preside at a banquet, but was unable 

 to accept, as he would be far away at the time. 

 I suggested that we need not go far for a chair- 

 man. Seeing that it was Walton's birth at 

 Stafford we wished to celebrate, what could be 

 more appropriate than that the Mayor of Staf- 

 ford should preside ? And I was certain he would 

 be well supported, especially if the affair took 

 place in or near London. I also said that I had 

 been thinking over the matter for some time, 

 and it appeared to me that we ought to mark 

 the occasion by something more permanent than 

 a banquet; that, whereas the place of Walton's 



8 



