The Dedication. 129 



rather excuse myself, then censure others, 

 my own Discourse being liable to so many 

 exceptions ; against which, you (Sir) might 

 make this one, That it can contribute 

 nothing to your knowledge; and lest a 

 longer Epistle may diminish your pleasure, 

 I shall not adventure to make this Epistle 

 longer then to add this following truth, 

 " That I am really, Sir, 



" Your most affectionate Friend, 



" and most humble Servant 



" Iz. WA." 



In his " Epistles Dedicatory " and " Ad- 

 dresses to the Reader " Walton excels. 

 There is such a pleasant, modest style and 

 gentle humour about them, that the reader 

 feels at once he is introduced to the com- 

 pany of no ordinary writer. It will be 

 noticed that in the closing lines of the 

 dedication just quoted there is an unneces- 

 sary repetition of the word " Epistle." On 

 turning to his fifth edition the last and 

 most complete of those published in his 

 lifetime I find that he noticed this, 

 altering the lines to 



" and lest a longer Epistle may diminish 

 your pleasure, I shall make this no longer 

 than to add," etc. He also altered "favor " 

 to "favovr" "then" to "than" "demos- 

 trated" to "demonstrated" etc. 



