Major's Ambition. 217 



the same subjects, but conceived in no 

 plagiaristic spirit." 



Certainly the 1844 Major is an edition 

 of Walton which every collector and lover 

 of Walton is glad to possess. He tells us 

 that "the new designs by Absolon form the 

 crown of my present efforts." Absolon's 

 nine drawings were engraved by J. T. 

 Willmore, A.R.A. There are seventy-four 

 woodcuts in the text, many of them being 

 charming views of scenery by T. Creswick, 

 A.R.A. Major says in one place : " I had 

 long been asking myself, in the language 

 of Abraham Cowley, ' What shall I do 

 to be for ever known ? ' And my good 

 Genius whispered, ' Give your days and 

 nights to emblazon the worth of Izaak 

 Walton.' " What would Major have said 

 if he could have seen the numerous 

 editions which have to thank his 

 " emblazonments " for their existence not 

 always with acknowledgments to him ? 



But between the first and fourth Majors 

 .appeared other editions of Walton, includ- 

 ing Pickering's magnum opus^ and an 

 edition of which no trace can be found. 

 This, Mr. Westwood says, is described in 

 the London Catalogue, 1815-1832, as a 

 6s. foolscap 8vo reprint by Maunder in 

 1824. I would give something for an 

 -edition of Walton of which Mr. Westwood 



