ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 113 



the great master himself in commendation of the 

 work : 



To his ingenious Friend the Author on his Angling 

 Improv'd. 



Honoured Sir, Though I never (to my knowledge) 

 had the happiness to see your face, yet accidentally 

 coming to a view of this Discourse before it went to 

 the Press ; I held my self obliged in point of gratitude 

 for the great advantage I received thereby, to tender 

 you my particular acknowledgment, especially having 

 been for thirty years past, not onely a lover but a 

 practicer of that innocent Recreation, wherein by your 

 judicious precepts I find my self fitted for a higher 

 Form ; which expression I take the boldness to use, 

 because I have read and practised by many Books 

 of this kind, formerly made publick ; from which 

 (although I received much advantage in the practick) 

 yet (without prejudice to their worthy Authors) I could 

 never find in them that height of judgment and 

 reason, which you have manifested in this (as I may 

 call it) Epitome of Angling, since my reading whereof 

 I cannot look upon some notes of my own gathering, 

 but methinks I do puerilia tractare. But lest I should 

 be thought to go about to magnifie my own judgment, 

 in giving yours so small a portion of its due, I humbly 

 take leave with no more ambition than to kiss your 

 hand and to be accounted, Your humble and thank- 

 ful Servant, I. W. 



The ExperienJd Angler is systematically arranged 

 in four chapters, the first dealing with " When 

 to provide Tools and how to make them " ; the 

 second with "Divers sorts of Angling: first, of the 

 Flie " ; the third treating " Of the Artificial Flie," and 

 the fourth " Of Angling at the ground." 



H 



