^ET. 86.] LIFE OF IZAAK WALTON. xcvii 



shopkeepers in Coventry." These letters are assigned to Walton 

 upon the authority of the following memorandum in Archbishop 

 Bancroft's handwriting, which occurs in a copy of the tract in the 

 library of Emanuel College, Cambridge. " Is. Walton's 2 letters 

 cone. y e Distemp's of y e Times 1680;" and as the Archbishop 

 was living and filled the see of Canterbury when they were published, 

 he is likely to have known who was the author. Dr Zouch, who 

 reprinted the tract, considers that the internal proofs bring 

 conviction with them, and that " the work is so like his temper of 

 mind, and his other writings, that all readers may readily conclude 

 it could flow only from his pen." 



That there is a great resemblance to the style of Walton in 

 these letters, especially in the conclusion of the first, and in the 

 commencement as well as in great part of the second letter, 

 and that they express the opinions which he entertained, is not 

 denied ; but there are some circumstances which render it 

 very unlikely that they were written by him. There is a fictitious 

 plan in the publication which is inconsistent with Walton's 

 scrupulous regard for veracity, and straightforward adherence to 

 fact. The editor of the tract, or, as he calls himself, " the pub- 

 lisher," appears to have been a distinct person from the author of 

 the letters ; but if any part of the work was written by Walton, 

 the address from the publisher to the stationer may be attributed 

 to him, because it bears as strong a resemblance to his style as 

 the letters themselves. In that address, which is dated on the 

 29th of May 1680, the writer says : 



"TO MR HENRY BROME IN ST PAUL'S CHURCHYARD, LONDON. 



"SIR, I here send you two letters (the first writ in the year 1667), 

 both writ by a prudent and conformable quiet citizen of London, to two 

 brothers, that now are, or were zealous, and busy shopkeepers in Coventry ; 

 to winch place I came lately, and by accident met with a grave divine, who 

 commended them to my reading : and having done what he desired, I 

 thought them to speak so much real truth, and clear reason, and both so 

 lovingly and so plainly, that I thought them worth my transcribing ; and 

 DOW, Upon second thoughts, think them worth printing, in order^to the 

 unbeguiling many men that mean well, and yet have been too busy in 

 meddling, and decrying things they understand not. Pray, get them to be 

 read by some person of honesty and judgment : and if he shall think as I 

 do, then let them be printed ; for I hope they may turn somewhat to your 

 own profit, but much more to the benefit of any reader that has been mis- 

 taken, and is willing to be unbeguiled. God keep you, Sir, your Friend, 



N. N. 4 



May 20, 1680." 



4 This signature has been attributed to JOHN SELDEN. 



9 



