

INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 23 



editions, by friends of the author, might be deemed liable to 

 this exception ; besides that they, in general, partake too much 

 of metaphysical conceit to continue their attendance on an 

 author whose mind was as unsophisticated as his language was 

 beautiful: truly, indeed, may it be termed the "well-spring 

 of English, pure and undefiled." 



The Reverend Moses Browne is the first writer whose re- 

 marks are applicable to our present view of the subject ; he re- 

 vived the ' ' Complete Angler ' ' after it had lain dormant for 

 upwards of eighty years ; and this task, be it never forgotten, 

 was performed at the instigation of Dr. Samuel Johnson ! Mr. 

 Browne, in his Preface, shows a laudable anxiety that the 

 work should be known as a literary production, and not as a 

 mere book of fishing ; these are his words : " Mr. Isaac Wal- 

 ton's Complete Angler, which (with the second part by Mr. 

 Cotton, of equal scarcity and value, I have the satisfaction of 

 restoring in the present manner to the public) has been always 

 had in the greatest reputation, by such as are acquainted with 

 books, and have any discerning in works of merit and nature. 

 Not only the lovers of this art, but all * others, who have no 

 inclinations in the least to the diversion of angling that it treats 

 of, have joined in giving it their mutual suffrage and commen- 

 dation." 



In the year 1760 appeared the first of those editions edited 

 by Sir John Hawkins ; from whose Life of Walton prefixed, we 

 extract the following encomium. 



"And let no man imagine, that a work on such a subject 

 must, necessarily, be unentertaining, or trifling, or even un- 



* On the appearance of my first edition, in 1823, Mr. D'Israeli (who some- 

 where speaks of the "Doric sweetness of Izaak Walton ") observed to me, 

 " One often sees a pretty book which is interesting to a particular class ; but 

 you have hit on a work that pleases everybody ! " And Mr. Alexander Chal- 

 mers was pleased to say, that I had given quite a new tone to the subject, and 

 had " Waltonized the land." For my own part, I can only say, that I had 

 long been asking myself, in the language of Abraham Cowley, " What shall 

 I do to be forever known?" and my good genius whispered, "Give you! 

 days and nights to emblazon the worth of Izaak Walton. " 



