'82 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [part i. 



her, " that she may die in the Spring ; and, being dead, may have 

 good store 5 of flowers stuck round about her winding-sheet."* 



W^t pafematU'a Plotj^K's anafa^r-t 



If all ^ the world and love were young, 

 And truth in every shepherd's tongue, 

 These pretty pleasures might me move 

 To live with thee, and be thy love. 



But time^ drives flocks from field to fold ; 

 When rivers rage, and rocks grow cold ; 

 Then^ Philomel becometh dumb ; 

 And age ^ complains of cares to come. 



The flowers do fade, and wanton fields 

 To wayward winter reckoning yields. 



VARIATIONS. 



5 and have good store, &c. — UfiHl sik edit. 



6 If that. — Shakespeare's Sonnets. 



7 Time drives the. — EnglantVs Heiicoii. 



8 And. — Angler, ist edit, ^ and England s Helicon. 



9 The rest. — Angler^ xst edit.^ and England^s Helicon. 



* ^^A fair and happy milkmaid^' is one of the "Characters" printed with Sir Thomas 

 Overbnry's "Wife," of which near twenty editions had been published before Walton 

 wrote his Angler. Zt is as follows :— 



"A Fair and Happy Milkmaid 

 Is a country wencht that is so far from making herself beautiful by art, that one look 

 of hers is able to put all face-physic out of countenance. She knows a fair look is but a 

 dumb orator to commend virtue, therefore minds it not. All her excellencies stand in 

 her so silently, as if*hey had stolen upon her without her knowledge. The lining of her 

 apparel (which is herself) isfar better than outsides of tissue ; for though she be not 

 arrayed in the spoil of the silkworm, she is decked -in innocency, a far better wearing. 

 She doth not, with lying long abed, spoil both her complexion and conditions ; nature 

 hath taught her too immoderate sleep is rust to the soul ; she rises therefore with 

 chanticleer, her dame's cock, and at night makes the lamb her curfew. In milking a 

 cow, and straining the teats through her fingers, it seems that so sweet a milk-press 

 makes the milk the whiter or sweeter ; for never came almond glue or aromatic ointment 

 of her palm to taint it. The golden ears of corn fall and kiss her feet when she reaps 

 them, as if they wished to be bound and led prisoners by the same hand that felled ■ 

 them. Her breath is her own, which scents all the year long of June, like a new-made 

 haycock. She makes her hand hard with labour, and her heart soft with pity: and 

 when winter .evenings fall early (sitting at her merry wheel) she sings defiance to the 

 wheel of Fortune. She doth all things with so sweet a grace, it seems ignorance will 

 not suffer her to do ill, being her mind is to do well. She bestows her year's wages at 

 next fair ; and in choosing her garments, counts no bravery in the world like decency. 

 > The garden and beehive are all her physic and chirurgery, and she lives the longer for it. 

 She dares go alone, and unfold sheep in the night, and fears no manner of ill. because she 

 means none : yet to say truth, she is never alone, for she is still accompanied with old 

 songs, honest thoughts, and prayers, but short ones ; yet they have their efficacy, in that 

 they are not pauled with ensuing idle cogitations. Lastly, her dreams are so chaste, that 

 she dare tell them : only a Friday's dream is all her superstition : that she conceals 

 for fear of anger. Thus lives she, and all her care is she may die in Spring-time, to have 

 store of flowers stuck upon her winding-sheet.'' — 12th edit. 8vo, Lond. 1627. — E. 



t The first stanza only of this song occurs in the " Passionate Pilgrim," but the whole 

 in ** England's Helicon," excepting the sixth stanza, which was not printed in the first 

 edition of the Angler. See note ante. 



