28 UFE OF WALTOJf. 



And, for that singular vein of humour that runs through 

 it, a most diverting book it is. The Dedication of this 

 performance to Edward lord Montague, general of the 

 navy, is given in the margin * ; and the reader will meet 

 with some further specimens of the author's style and 

 manner of writing, in the notes on the present edition. 



And of Cotton it must be said, that living in a 

 country where fly-fishing was, and is, almost the 

 only practice, he had not only the means of acquiring, 

 but actually possessed more skill in the art, as also in 

 the method of making flies, than most men of his time. 



His book is, in fact, a continuation of Walton's, 



Noble Lord ! 



" I do present this my book as I have named it, Barker's Delight, to your 

 " honour, I pray God send you safe homey to your good lady and sweet babes* 

 *' Avtn, Amen. If you shall find any thing delightful in the reading of it, 

 cc I shall heartily rejoice ; for I know you are one who takes delight in 

 *' that pleasure, and have good judgment and experience, as many noble 

 " persons and gentlemen of true piety and honour do, and have. The fa- 

 * vour that I have found from you, and a great many more, that did and 

 " do love that pleasure shall never be bury'd in oblivion by me. I am 

 *' now grown old, and am willing to enlarge my little book. I have 

 " written no more but my own experience and practice ; and have set 

 e * forth the true ground of angling, which I have been gathering these 

 ** threescore years; having spent many pounds in the gaining, of it, 

 " as is well known in the place where I was born and educated, 

 " which is Bracemeale, in the liberty of Salop ; being a freeman and 

 *' burgess of the same city. If any noble or gentle angler^ of ivbat degree 

 " soever be be t have a mind to discourse of any of these ivays and experiments^ I 

 " live in Henry the Filth's. Gifts, the next door to the Gatehouse in 

 " Westminster : my name is Barker ; where I shall be ready, as long as 

 " please God, to satisfy them and maintain my art during life, which is 

 " not like to be long ; that the younger fry may have my experiments 

 " at a smaller charge than I Jhad them : for it would be too heavy for 

 " every one that loveth that exercise, to be at the charge as I was at 

 K{ first in my youth, the loss of my time, with great expences. Therefore, I 

 " took it in consideration ; and thought fit to let it be understood, and to 

 " take pains to set forth the true grounds and ways, that I have found by 

 <* experience both for fitting of the rods and tackles, both for ground- 

 " baits, and flies; with directions for the making thereof; with ob- 

 " servations for times and seasons for the ground-baits, and flies, both 

 ' for day and night, with the dressing ; wherein I take as much delight 

 as in the taking of them ; and to shew how I can perform it, to fur- 

 ** nish any lord's table only with Trouts, ae it is furnished with flesh, for 

 " sixteen or twenty dishes. And I have a desire to preserve their health, 

 " (with the help of God) to go dry in their boots and shoes in angling* j 

 " for age taketh the pleasure from me." 



* See his recipe for this purpose, in the Notes on Chap. XVII, pa. 299- 



