154 Cotton's Letter to Walton. 



of a frost or snow, of " the smallest gnats, 

 browns, and duns you can make." 



That Cotton had but a poor opinion of 

 London-made flies is clear from his reply 

 to Viator, who had just told him that 

 he likes a fly Cotton has made for him 

 " admirably well, and it perfectly re- 

 sembles a fly; but we about London, 

 make the bodies of our flies both much 

 bigger and longer, so long as almost to 

 the very beard of the hook." " I know 

 it very well," says Cotton, "and had one of 

 those flies given me by an honest gentle- 

 man, who came with my father Walton 

 to give me a visit ; which, to tell you the 

 truth, I hung in my parlour window to 

 laugh at." 



COTTON'S LETTER TO WALTON, SENT 

 WITH His MS. 



" To my most Worthy Father and Friend, 

 " MR. IZAAK WALTON, THE ELDER. 



"SiR, Being you were pleased some years 

 past, to grant me your free leave to do what 

 I have here attempted; and observing, you 

 never retract any promise when made in 

 favour even of your meanest friends ; I 

 accordingly expect to see these following 

 particular Directions for the taking of a 

 Trout, to wait upon your better and more 



