HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [267 



among the people, and the King was at last obliged to resign these 

 unfortunate statesmen to the executioner. They were both be- 

 headed upon Tower-hill, August 18, 1510. 



During his confinement, Dudley amused himself with writing a 

 curious piece, entitled " The Tree of the Commonwealth, by Ed- 

 mund Dudley, Esq. late Counsellor to Henry the Seventh, the same 

 Edmund being at the compiling thereof prisoner in the Tower, in 

 1. Henry VIII." "This treatise," says the author, " consists of 

 three especial points. First, remembrance of God and the faith- 

 ful of his holy Church, in which every Christian prince had need to 

 begin. Secondly, of some conditions and demeanour necessary in 

 every prince, both for his honour, and a surety of his continuance. 

 Thirdly, the Tree of the Commonwealth, which toncheth people of 

 every degree, of the conditions and demeanour they should be of." 

 This work was never published, but several copies of it are still in 

 existence in manuscript. It displays much knowledge of the world, 

 and some courtly panegyrics on royalty; but as it never reached 

 the King's hand, it failed of the intended influence on the royal 

 clemency. Like many other unfortunate statesmen who have been 

 the passive instruments of despotism, Dudley debased his talents 

 by injustice, and with all his eloquence and learning he never knew 

 the truth and value of the honest but important adage, " Honesty 

 is the best policy." 



ISAAC WALTON. 



This amiable man and useful writer was born at Stafford, August 

 9, 1593, but no records exist that throw any light upon the early 

 transactions of his life, which indeed seems to have afforded few 

 materials for the biographer. His father died when Isaac was lit- 

 tle more than two months old. The first notice of Walton fixes 

 him in business as a linen-draper under the Royal Bourse or Ex- 

 change, in London, where he continued to reside till the year 1624. 

 He afterwards removed to a house in Fleet-street, " two doors west 

 of the end of Chancery-lane, and abutting on a messuage known by 

 the sign of the Harrow," which answers to the situation of an old 

 half-timbered house ti!l within these few years known by that name. 

 About 1632 he married Anne, daughter of Mr. Thomas Ken, of Fur- 

 nivalV Inn, and niece of Dr. Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells, one of 



