84 



THE- COMPLETE ANGLER. 



[PART i 



written, " that he died 13th Feb., 1601, being aged 95 years, 

 44 of which he had been dean of St. Paul's church ; and 

 that his age neither impaired his hearing, nor dimmed his 

 eyes, nor weakened his memory, nor made any of the facul- 

 ties of his mind weak or useless." It is said that angling 

 and temperance were great causes of these blessings. And 

 I wish the like to all that imitate him, and love the memory 

 of so good a man. 



My next and last example shall be that undervaluer of 

 money, the late Provost of Eton College, Sir Henry Wotton: 1 



The Thames, near Windsor. 



to fish in the Thames ; and having one day left his bottle of ale in the grass, 

 on the bank of the river, he found it some days after, no bottle but a gun, 

 such the sound at the opening thereof. And hence he seems to derive 

 the origin of bottled ale in England. H. 



1 See some account of him in the Life of Walton, ante, p. 1 4. The good 

 provost had a 'fishing-house in the Thames, near Windsor, where he used 

 to enjoy his quiet sport and the society of "the ever welcome company" of 

 his friend Walton, ' ' at the time of the fly and the cork. " The whole scene is 

 well suited to a lover of angling. A little green lawn slopes gently down to 

 the river, and on the top of it is a modest fishing-house, such a one as we may 

 suppose the provost and his friend might retire to, either for shelter or to par- 

 take of fishermen's fare. It stands on an ayte, round which the pellucid river 

 finds its way. To the left, the turrets of Windsor Castle are seen through a 

 vista of magnificent elms ; and to the right, the chapel and college of Eton, 

 with their venerable and beautiful architecture. Near by, are graceful 

 willows, amongst which the sedge -bird and the willow- wren sing in concert 

 day and night. The property still belongs to Eton College, and is rented by 

 Mr. Batcheldor, of Windsor, a worthy and expert brother of the angle. ED. 



