168 THE MUSIC OF WILD FLOWERS 



which he died could be identified ! Some years ago, in 

 the pages of Longman's Magazine, I recorded the result 

 of my researches with regard to Izaak Walton's con- 

 nection with Droxford. I there showed that Dr 

 Hawkins was rector of that parish as well as prebendary 

 of Winchester, and that therefore the allusions to Drox- 

 ford in Walton's will were fully accounted for ; that he 

 had lived in the old rectory, still standing on the banks 

 of the Meon, with his daughter and son-in-law ; and 

 that several of those to whom he left memorial rings 

 were parishioners of Droxford, among others, Mr 

 John Darbyshire, the curate, and Mr Francis Morley, 

 squire of the village, both of whom are buried in Drox- 

 ford church. I mentioned, of course, that it was dur- 

 ing one of Dr Hawkins' " residences " at the Cathedral 

 that Izaak Walton died ; but in which house in the 

 Close the event took place I knew not and no man knew. 

 Perhaps the Wainscot Book might reveal it. I had 

 long associated in my mind, from several trivial indica- 

 tions, the second house on the right-hand side in Dome 

 Alley as the probable residence of Dr Hawkins. Its 

 position in the Close seemed to correspond with an 

 allusion to Dr Hawkins' garden which I found in a con- 

 temporary document ; and, moreover, the initials 

 W. H., with the date 1683, cut in a stone on the north 

 side of the house, might refer to our prebendary. To 

 my great satisfaction the conjecture proved to be 

 correct. The very first entry in the Wainscot Book 

 with reference to this house was the payment by 



" William Hawkins, Dr of Divinity, one of ye pre- 

 bendaries of the Cathedral Church of Winchester, to 

 Mrs Frances Preston, relict of Dr Nicholas Preston who 



