98 THOMAS KEN AND IZAAK WALTON 



This was written sixty years after his apprentice- 

 ship with Thomas Grinsell. 1 



It does not follow that because Walton was a 

 member of the Ironmongers' Company that there- 

 fore he was an ironmonger ; on the other hand, 

 the evidence that he was not an ironmonger by 

 trade is not so overwhelming as it was once sup- 

 posed to be. It is, after all, only a sort of legend 

 that he was a sempster, and that legend grew by 

 what it fed upon. It is rather amusing even to 

 attempt to get to the bottom of it. 



First, one hears of " a tradition in the family " 

 that Walton was a sempster ; then we are told that 

 the tradition has no reference to his occupation at 

 all, but to the fact that Izaak was " instrumental in 

 preserving the LESSER GEORGE which belonged 

 to Charles II." 



Sir Harris Nicolas says decidedly, " It is well 

 known that Izaak Walton followed the trade of a 

 sempster or haberdasher." 



Then Dr. Zouch says, "According to Anthony 

 Wood, ' he followed the trade of a sempster.' " 



is, if he -was at Westminster, why has he never mentioned 

 it ? Of course that cannot be answered except on the plea 

 that he said so little about himself at all. 



1 In Walton's will he leaves a ring to "my cousin, 

 Greinsell, widdow." 



