INTRODUCTION. xix 



Cotton in this respect excels him. But though, as the 

 author declares on the original title-page, it is " not un- 

 worthy the perusal of most anglers ; " in what constitute the 

 technique of angling, in questions of baits and flies in their 

 seasons, and in the dissertations upon the natural history of 

 fish, it is inaccurate, and we often wonder at the author's 

 credulity. But in the literary and philosophic parts of 

 the craft it is supremely excellent. It is a book for all 

 persons of literary understanding to read with delight; and 

 as for the angler who has not read it, he always seems to 

 me like some being born without a soul. 



Study to be quiet. He writes the words as a tail-piece to 

 his book as if they were the sum of the whole matter. In 

 his life he sought quietude and composure, and the good 

 nature and the good humour that these make possible. 

 The very spirit of kindliness and good-will to God and men 

 is present in the book, as being part of his own disposition, 

 and yet more notably in the Lives. With what commend- 

 able caution he treats those passages in the lives of his 

 heroes which he feels he cannot hold up to the admiration 

 of posterity; as, when "Jack" Donne arranges secret meet- 

 ings with his ladylove, he. "forbears to tell the manner 

 how." It is this trait, seriously considered, that makes 

 the Lives incomplete as biographies, while so perfect as 

 eulogies. Walton strove to do full justice to the characters 

 of his friends, that is, to whatever was excellent and of good 

 report therein; and this he did with a sympathetic taste 

 and a discriminating understanding; while he disregarded 

 that which might be of evil reputation, probably having 

 the benefit of posterity in view. And humour is no 

 more ^bs^ljrom^the book than from ^tHe~man7Tnnocent, 

 harmless_Juimcoii^ jain_have 



more of it. One could easUybelieve~the~Incidenr of 



