It can never be ""Antiquated'' 165 



pages of the " tenderest teacher and 

 powerfullest preacher" our art has evec_ 

 had. What may be missing in sciences""} 

 can be found elsewhere, and will be more / 

 than made up for by his description of 

 what we may call the essence of the art, 

 by the simple, often quaint, but always 

 perfect expositions of the {rue spirit of 

 angling which are given in his book as in 

 none other. 



I confess I cannot understand those 

 anglers and I have met some who scoff 

 at Walton as being antiquated. In mere 

 practical details he may not always be 

 equal to that scientific, mechanical preci- 

 sion in angling for which we have, in my 

 humble opinion, far too much admiration 

 in the present day ; but_as,a_teacriex-of all 

 thai_rja_rt_pf angling which-is-4ost -worthy 

 Qjjr_enthusiasm and love, Walton is not 

 and never can be antiquated. 



For instance, I open his book at random, 

 and find a strong argument in favour of 

 the keeping of fence months : 



" The not keeping of Fence months for 

 the preservation of Fish will in time prove 

 the destruction of all rivers. ... He that 

 shall view the wise statutes made in the 13 

 of Edw. the I. and the like in Rich, the III. 

 may see several provisions made against 

 the destruction of Fish : and though I 



