James Russell Lowell. 247 



fishing with the fly-rod that, as Sir 

 Walter calls it, " noble branch of the art, 

 which exceeds all other uses of the 

 angling-rod, as much as fox-hunting 

 excels hare-hunting." 



Franck insinuates more than once that 

 Walton's book owes its popularity to its 

 instructions how to cook fish rather than 

 how to catch them ; in fact, he says plainly 

 in one place that Walton's arguments 

 would " beyond dispute have undubitably 

 miscarried had not his wife had a finger 

 in the pie." 



J. R. LOWELL'S " INTRODUCTION " TO 

 WALTON. 



The latest " Introduction " to an edition 

 of Walton is one of the most important, 

 as it contains the critical opinion of the 

 man and the book by no less a writer 

 than James Russell Lowell. I confess 

 that the pleasure with which I read the 

 announcement that the author of The 

 Biglow Papers was to write this very 

 charming essay was not quite realised. 

 In spite of much which every lover of 

 Walton must re-echo, there are one or two 

 things which seem to leave a somewhat 

 unpleasant flavour in the mouth : this, for 

 instance, referring to some men Walton 



