the c Compleat Angler. 5 



25 



with them in public places, under the eyes of men, but fought 

 them out in their retirement, fitting meekly at their feet, in 

 their fhadow . . . meekly, not fervilely ; how, at a compara- 

 tively early age, he withdrew to his country retreat, hiding 

 himfelf ftill more effectually in the feclufion of his ftudy, and 

 in thofe paftoral purfuits which were his chief delight ; and 

 how, finally, he lived, for the moft part, at a period of great 

 political ferment and convulfion, and in the midft of fuch 

 doing and undoing as is apt to fweep away the traces of fecon- 

 dary events, and of the routine of ordinary existences. 



Writing biography under fuch circum fiances, is like de- 

 ciphering the characters on a tomb, that the rains of centuries 

 have channelled, and that mofs and lichen have overgrown. 

 A word here, a line there, may be made out, but the mod 

 patient effort, the moft unfailing fagacity, are required to pro- 

 duce a continuous and perfect tranfcript of the whole. 



The life of Walton, as we poffefs it now, is, in fact, a mofaic 

 by many hands ; but to Hawkins accrues the merit of having 

 been the earlieft worker in the quarry, if not the moft con- 

 fummate and fuccefsful one. 



His edition of 1760 was in demy octavo, and of a goodly 

 afpect, printed on fine paper, and with bold, legible type. 

 Of the figures in the plates, it was ftated in a note, that they 

 were <c dreffed in the habit of the time," and the plates them- 

 felves were declared in an advertifement to have cc coft upwards 

 of a hundred pounds." 



The work was alfo announced as being <f the only correct 

 and complete edition." 



