THE LITERATURE OF FLY FISHING. 197 



long, which was of such a length and depth, 

 that he had his picture drawn, and now to be 

 seen at mine Hoste Rickabies at the George in 

 Ware).' 



Finally, let me give a less known passage. 

 There appeared in 1646 the Shepheards 

 Oracles, by that very real poet, Francis 

 Quarles. He was then dead, and Walton 

 brought out the book, and himself wrote the 

 introduction, though Harriot the publisher 

 signed it. 



It describes Quarles going fishing on a May 

 morning. 'He in a Sommers morning (about 

 that howre when the great eye of Heaven first 

 opens it selfe to give light to us mortals) walk- 

 ing a gentle pace towards a Brook (whose 

 Spring-head was not far distant from his 

 peaceful! habitation) fitted with Angle, Lines 

 and Flyes : Flyes proper for that season (being 

 the fruitfull Month of May;) intending all 

 diligence to beguile the timorous Trout (with 

 which the watry element abounded), observed 

 a more then common concourse of Shepheards, 

 all bending their unwearied steps towards a 

 pleasant Meadow.' 



The seeming simplicity of Walton's style is 

 its distinction : a simple Arcadian style, as Sir 

 Walter Scott called it. It is simple to read, 

 but it is by no means simple to write, and I 

 really believe it has defeated everyone who has 

 tried to copy it. There is no one exactly like 

 him in English prose. 



