EDITORIAL NOTE 



THE text of this edition is a reprint of the fifth (the last to receive 

 Walton's own revision), with which it has been carefully collated. 

 The spelling has been modernised. For his introduction the Editor is 

 indebted to the usual authorities, particularly to Sir Harris Nicolas. In 

 compiling the Notes he has followed the example of his forerunners, 

 and attempted little beyond a selection from the Notes of previous 

 editors, whose work is acknowledged by their initials j though here and 

 there, with Mr. New's aid, he has been able to elucidate a topographical 

 allusion. " N " stands for Sir Harris Nicolas, " E " for Sir Henry 

 Ellis, "H" for Sir John Hawkins, "M" for Major, and B"for 

 Dr. Bethune, the American editor of Walton, who has brought much 

 out-of-the-way reading to the illustration of Walton, though he is apt 

 occasionally to be careless, and, what is worse, facetious, and apt, too, 

 to append "Am. Ed." to a note which is mainly a precis of the 

 Notes of previous editions. 



To Mr. R. H. Shepherd's Waltoniana the Editor is indebted for one 

 or two items in the Appendix, and to Mr. R. B. Marston, the owner 

 of the copyright, for permission to reprint Westwood's Bibliography, 

 as also for kindly aid in bringing it up to date. 



