Introduction 



Walton had left Chancery Lane in August 1644, finding it 

 " dangerous for honest men to be there," and for some years his 

 place of residence is doubtful. Some have surmised that he retired 

 to Stafford, to pass long days by Shawford brook, but Sir Harris 

 Nicolas is of opinion that, except for occasional visits to Stafford, he 

 did not leave London till after the Restoration. 



In 1650 he was probably living in Clerkenwell, and in 1651, soon 

 after the battle of Worcester, his pacific contemplative life comes for 

 a moment in contact with the danger and trouble of the time. The 

 King's baggage had fallen into Cromwell's hands, but a certain 

 Colonel Blague had managed to save one of Charles's rings, known as 

 " the lesser George." Having taken shelter at Blore Pipe House, 

 near Eccleshall, Blague had handed it to his host Mr. George 

 Barlow, who passed it on to one Robert Milward, who again gave it 

 into the " trusty hands " of Mr. Izaak Walton. Blague was mean- 

 while a prisoner in the Tower, but, effecting his escape, he received 

 the ring again from Walton, and succeeded in restoring it to the 

 King over the water. This is Walton's first and only appearance as 

 a man of action, so we must make the most of it. 



In 1655 we catch a glimpse of him once again in the more con- 

 genial society of the clergy, that famous glimpse of him talking with 

 Bishop Sanderson in Little Britain, a meeting which he has thus 

 described with so much charm : 



About the time of his printing this excellent preface, I met him 

 accidentally in London, in sad-coloured clothes, and God knows, far from 

 being costly. The place of our meeting was near to Little Britain, 

 where he had been to buy a book which he then had in his hand. We 

 had no inclination to part presently, and therefore turned to stand in a 

 corner under a penthouse (for it began to rain), and immediately the 

 wind rose, and the wind increased so much, that both became so incon- 

 venient, as to force us into a cleanly house, where we had bread, cheese, 

 ale, and a fire for our ready money. The rain and wind were so obliging 

 to me, as to force our stay here for at least an hour, to my great content 

 and advantage ; for in that time he made to me many useful observations 

 of the present times with much clearness and conscientious freedom. 



Fuller's Church History was published in 1655, and it was soon 



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