ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 95 



It was evidently Walton's wish to produce this 

 effect, for he himself says that the " whole discourse 

 is a kind of picture of my own disposition " : and 

 that he was successful in reflecting his own disposi- 

 tion in his book is further evidenced by the verses 

 addressed to him in commendation of his work by 

 his brother-in-law, Robert Floud : 



This book is so like you, and you like it, 

 For harmless mirth, expression, art, and wit, 

 That I protest ingenuously, 'tis true, 

 I love this mirth, art, wit, the book, and you. 



For a complete life of Walton I must refer my 

 readers to one of the numerous editions, which have 

 been, and still are being published of his works : here 

 it is only necessary to state, that he was born at 

 Stafford on pth August 1593, and that he died at 

 Winchester on I5th December 1683. 



The statement made originally by Wood (Athence 

 Oxon.\ that he was a sempster (haberdasher) by 

 trade, appears by the light of more recent investiga- 

 tions to be erroneous, for he is now known to have 

 been apprenticed to an ironmonger in London, 

 named Thomas Grmsell, to have been made free of 

 the Ironmongers' Company on I2th November 1618, 

 and in his marriage license to have been described as 

 an ironmonger. 



The first edition of the Compleat Angler made its 

 appearance in May 1653. There appear to have 

 been two issues of this edition : in the first issue a 

 misprint occurs in the last verses in the book, the 



