Walton's Reply. 157 



I have ventur'd also to give him a Copy 

 of Verses, that you were pleas'd to send 

 me, now some Years past : in which he 

 may see a good Picture of both ; and, so 

 much of your own mind to, as will make 

 any Reader that is blest with a Generous 

 Soul, to love you the better. I confess, that 

 for doing this you may justly Judg me too 

 bold : if you do, I will say so too : and so 

 far commute my offence, that, though I 

 be more than a hundred Miles from you, 

 and in the eighty third year of my Age, 

 yet I will forget both, and next month 

 begin a Pilgrimage to beg your pardon, 

 for, I would dye in your favour : and till 

 then will live, 



" Sir, 

 " Your most affectionate 



" Father and Friend, 



" IZAAK WALTON. 

 "LONDON, April 2gfii, 1676." 



It will be noticed that Cotton, in his 

 letter to Walton, says he has endeavoured 

 to accommodate the method of his work 

 to Walton's that is to say, has put it into 

 the form of " A Discourse " between 

 " Piscator Junior" (himself) and "Viator." 

 I think he succeeded admirably, his 

 imaginary conversations being almost as 

 natural, and quite as instructive as those 



