Ixxxviii LIFE OF IZAAK WALTON. [1676, 



to own me for his adopted son." Venator replies, " In earnest. 

 Sir, I am ravished to meet with a friend of Mr Izaac Walton's, 

 and one that does him so much right in so good and true a char- 

 acter : for I must boast to you, that I have the good fortune to 

 know him too, and came acquainted with him much after the 

 same manner I do with you ; that he was my master, who first 

 taught me to love angling, and then to become an angler ; and to 

 be plain with you, I am the very man deciphered in his book under 

 the name of Venator ; for he was wholly addicted to the chase, 

 till he taught me as good, a more quiet, innocent, and less 

 dangerous diversion." Piscator then observes, " Sir, I think 

 myself happy in your acquaintance ; and before we part shall 

 entreat leave to embrace you. You have said enough to 

 recommend you to my best opinion ; for my father Walton 

 will be seen twice in no man's company he does not like, and likes 

 none but such as he believes to be very honest men, which is one 

 of the best arguments, or at least of the best testimonies I have, 

 that I either am, or that he thinks me one of those, seeing I have 

 not yet found him weary of me." Viator rejoins, " You speak 

 like a true friend, and in doing so render yourself worthy of his 

 friendship." 



To these flattering expressions Walton thus alluded in his letter 

 to Cotton : ^ — " You now see, I have returned you your very 

 pleasant and usefiil discourse of the Art of Fly-fishing, printed 

 just as it was sent me : for I have been so obedient to your 

 desires, as to endure all the praises you have ventured to fix 

 upon me in it. And when I have thanked you for them, as the 

 effects of an undissembled love, then let me tell you. Sir, that I 

 will really endeavour to live up to the character you have given of 

 me, if there were no other reason, yet for this alone, that you that 

 love me so well, and always think what you speak, may not, for my 

 sake, suffer by a mistake in your judgment." 



The comp-limentary verses prefixed to the former editions of "The 

 Complete Angler" were augmented in the fifth, by a Latin Iambic 

 ode from the pen of Dr James Duport, the Greek professor at 

 Cambridge, who had contributed a similar testimony of his esteem 

 on the publication of the Life of Herbert. Dr Zouch has inserted 

 a very elegant translation of these verses, in his Life of Walton, 

 from the pen of the Rev. James Tate, one of the canon residen- 

 tiaries of St Paul's; and it is impossible to refrain from following his 

 example : — 



* Vide p. zi8, postea. 



