18 INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 



Let him prate ; what care we j 

 We're as honest as he, 

 And so let him take that for his labor ! " * 

 There are who think these pastimes scarce humane, 

 Yet in my mind (and not relentless I) 

 His life is pure that wears no fouler stains." 



But to return to Walton, who must have often lamented the 

 misfortunes of his adopted son. 



The precise situation in life in which Walton was placed has 

 unfortunately never reached posterity ; and, with due deference 

 to his earliest biographers, we cannot help thinking it has been 

 fixed in too humble a sphere. 



Sir John Hawkins speaks of a deed dated 1624, by which it 

 appears that his house in Fleet Street was in the Joint occupa- 

 tion of Izaak Walton and John Mason, Hosier; "whence," 

 says Sir John, "we may conclude, that half a shop was suf- 

 ficient for the business of Walton." Now to this deduction 

 we by no means agree ; but in unison with the tradition in his 

 family, that he was "a wholesale Linen-draper or Hamburgh 

 Merchant" would much rather infer that Izaak Walton (it is 

 to be observed that his name is mentioned first in the said 

 deed) had let a part of his house to the said John Mason, his 

 own business not requiring the public exposure of his goods. 



Be this as it might, we have the pleasure of presenting the 

 reader with a genuine view of the house rendered so truly in- 

 teresting as the dwelling of our author ; the curious in London 

 topography will recognize the corner house, in the print an- 

 nexed to this Essay, as the southwest end of Chancery Lane, 

 Fleet Street, as it appeared till within about the last sixteen 

 years. The third west from the corner is considered as the 

 identical house of Walton, whilst the view at the same time 

 contains a glance of the curious old houses up Chancery Lane, 



* As for that morbid sensibility which rails at angling on the score of cru- 

 elty, let us rely on the defence of the invincibly reasoning Armstrong, it 

 was neither made on behalf of Walton nor Cotton, but injustice tp God and 

 for a// mankind I 



