LIFE OF WALTOIC. 4? 



illustrious a society ; unless we will suppose, as doubt- 

 less was the case, that his integrity and amiable dis- 

 position attracted the notice and conciliated the af- 

 fections of all with whom he had any concern. 



It is observable, that not only these, but the rest of 

 Walton's friends, were eminent royalists ; and that he 

 himself was in great repute for his attachment to the 

 royal cause, will appear by the following relation, 

 taken from Ahmole's History of the order of the 

 garter, page 228 ; where the Author, speaking of the 

 ensigns of the order, says; cc Nor will it be unfitly 

 " here remembered, by what good fortune the present 

 <c sovereign's Lesser George, set with fair diamonds, 

 ec was preserved, after the defeat given to the Scotch 

 f< forces at Worcester, ann. 4 Car. II. Among the 

 " rest of his attendants then dispersed, Colonel 

 cc J^lague was one; who taking shelter at Blore- 

 u pipe-house in Staffordshire, where one Mr. George 

 u Barlow then dwelt, delivered his wife this George, 

 c to secure. Within a week after, Mr. Barlow liim- 

 u self carried it to Robert Milward, Esq. ; he being' 

 ' then a prisoner to the parliament, in the garrison of 

 c Stafford ; and by his means was it happily preserved 

 ** and restored : for, not long after, he delivered it to 

 cc Mr. Isaac Walton, (a man well known, and as 

 c well beloved of all good men ; and will be better 

 i( known to posterity, by his ingenious pen, in the 

 " Lives of Dr. Donne, Sir Henry Wottoft, Mr. 

 c Richard Hooker, and Mr. George Herbert,) to be 

 * given to Colonel Blague, then a prisoner in the 

 u Tower ; who considering it had already past so- 

 44 many dangers, was persuaded it could yet secure 

 <c one hazardous attempt of his own; and, thereupon, 

 a leaving the Tower without leave-taking, hasted the 

 " presentation of it to the present sovereign's hand*." 

 The religious opinions of good men are of little im- 

 portance to others, any farther than they necessarily 

 conduce to virtuous practice ; since we see, that as 

 well the different persuasions of papist and protestant r 



See also Dr. Plott's Stffirdsbirtt 311* 



