89 LIFE OF WALTOtf. 



to silence, and the other he converts and takes for hi 

 pupil. 



What reception in general the book met with, may 

 be naturally inferred from the dates of the subsequent 

 editions thereof; the second came abroad in 1655, the 

 third in 1664, the fourth in 1668, and the fifth and last 

 in 1676. It is pleasing to trace the several variations 

 which the author from time to time made in these sub- 

 sequent editions, as well by adding new facts and disco- 

 veries, PS by enlarging on the more entertaining parts 

 of the dialogue: And so far did he indulge himself in 

 this method of improvement, that, besides that in the 

 second edition he has introduced a new interlocutor, to 

 wit, Auceps, a. falconer, and by that edition, gives a 

 new form to the dialogue ; he from thence takes occa- 

 sion to urge a variety of reasons in favour of his art> 

 and to assert its preference, as well to hawking, as, hunt- 

 ing. The third and fourth editions of his book have 

 several entire new chapters; and the fifth, the last of 

 the editions published in his life-time, contains no less 

 than eight chapters more than the first, and twenty pages 

 more than the fourth. 



Not having the advantage of a learned education, it 

 may seem unaccountable that Walton so frequently 

 cites authors that have written only in Latin, as Ges- 

 ner, Cardan, Aldrovandus, Rondeletius, and even Al- 

 bertus Magnus ; but here it may be observed, that the 

 voluminous history of animals, of which the first of 

 these was author, is in effect translated into English by 

 Mr. Edward Topsel, a learned divine; chaplain, as it 

 seems in the church of St. Botolph, Aldersgate. to- 

 Dr. Neil, dean of Westminster. The translation was 

 published in 1658, and containing in it numberless 

 particulars concerning frogs, serpents, caterpillars, 

 and other animals, though not of fish, extracted from 

 the other writers above-named, and others with their 

 names to the respective facts it furnished Walton with 

 a great variety of intelligence, of which in the later 

 editions of his book he has carefully availed himself: it 

 was therefore through the medium of this translation 

 alone, that be was enabled to cite the other author* 



