12 LIFE OF WALTON. 



1653, a second edition, in 4to. under the same title, but without 

 his name : and in 1659 he published the third edition of it, under 

 the enlarged title of " Barker's Delight, or the Art of Angling." 

 And, for that singular vein of humour that runs through it, is 

 a most diverting book. 



And of Cotton it must be said, that living in a country where 

 fly-fishing was, and is, almost the only practice, he had not only 

 the means of acquiring, but actually possessed more skill in the 

 art, as also in the method of making flies, than most men of 

 his time. 



His book is, in fact, a continuation of Walton's, not only as it 

 teaches at large that branch of the art of angling which Walton 

 had but slightly treated on, but as it takes up Venator, Walton's 

 piscatory disciple, just where his master had left him ; and 

 this connexion between the two parts will be clearly seen, when 

 it is remarked that the traveller whom Cotton invites to his 

 house, and so hospitably entertains, and also instructs in the art 

 of fly-fishing I say this traveller and Venator, the pupil of 

 Walton, prove to be one and the same person. 



In this second part there is great spirit in the dialogue ; and 

 the same conversable, communicative temper which so eminently 

 distinguishes the first. 



A book which had been published by Col. Robert Venables, 

 some years before (1662), called the "Experienced Angler, or 

 Angling Improved," which has its merit, was also now reprinted ; 

 and the booksellers prefixed to it a general title of the " Universal 

 Angler," under which they sometimes sold the three, bound 

 together : but the book is written in a manner very different 

 from that of the " Complete Angler." It has a preface signed 

 I. W. undoubtedly of Walton's writing. 



And here it may not be amiss to remark, that between the two 

 parts of the " Complete Angler," there is an obvious difference ; 

 the latter [part] though it abounds in descriptions of a wild and 

 romantic country, and exemplifies the intercourses of hospitable 

 urbanity, is of a didactic form, and contains in it more of in- 

 struction in the art it professes to teach, than of moral reflection : 

 whereas the former, besides the pastoral simplicity that dis- 

 tinguishes it, is replete with sentiments that edify and precepts 

 that recommend, in the most persuasive manner, the practice of 

 religion, and the exercise of patience, humility, and contented- 

 ness, and other moral virtues. In this view of it, the book might 

 be said to be the only one of the kind, but that I find somewhat 



words : "I shall give some other directions for fly-fishing, such as are 

 given by Mr. Thomas Barker, a gentleman that hath spent much time in 

 fishing, but I shall do it with a little variation." H. 



