author, fays of this life; "I have often "feen Mr. Hooker with my father, who was "after bishop of London, from whom, and "others at that time, I have heard moft of "the material paffages which you relate in "the hiftory of his life." Sir William Dugdale, fpeaking of the three pofthumous books of the Ecclefiaftical Polity, refers the reader "to that feasonable hiftorical difcourfe lately "compiled and published, with great judg"ment and integrity, by that much-de

ferving perfon, Mr. Ifaac Walton †." In this life we are told, that Hooker, while he was at college, made a vifit to the famous Doctor Jewel, then bishop of Salisbury, his good friend and patron: an account of the bishop's behaviour, at his departure, as it contains a lively picture of his fimplicity and goodness, and of the plain manners of those times, is given in the note ‡.

* Before the Lives.

The

+ Short View of the late Troubles in England, Fol. 1681. pag. 39.

"As foon as he was perfectly recovered from this "fickness, he took a journey from Oxford to Exeter, to "fatisfy and fee his good mother; being accompa"nied with a countryman and companion of his own "college, and both on foot; which was then either "more in fashion, or want of money, or their humility made it fo: but on foot they went, and took Salisbury in their way, purposely to fee the good bishop, who made Mr. Hooker and his companion dine with him at his own table; which Mr. Hooker "boafted

The life of Mr. George Herbert, as it ftands the fourth and laft in the volume wherein that and the three former are collected, feems to have been written the next after Hooker's: it was first published in Duodecimo, 1670. Walton profeffes himself a ftranger as to the perfon of Herbert *; and though he affures us his life of him was a free-will-offering †, it is no way inferior to any of the former.

"boafted of with much joy and gratitude, when he "faw his mother and friends. And, at the bishop's "parting with him, the bifhop gave him good coun"fel, and his benediction, but forgot to give him

66

money; which, when the bishop had confidered, "he fent a fervant, in all hafte, to call Richard back "to him; and at Richard's return, the bishop faid to "him, Richard, I fent for you back to lend you a "horfe, which hath carried me many a mile, and, I "thank God, with much ease; and prefently deli"vered into his hand a walking-ftaff, with which he "profeffed he had travelled through many parts of Germany; and he faid, RICHARD, I do not give, "but lend you my horfe: be fure you be honest, and bring my horfe back to me at your return this way to OXFORD, "And I do now give you ten groats, to bear your charges to Exeter; and here is ten groats more, which I charge. you to deliver to your mother; and tell her, I fend her a bishop's benediction with it, and beg the continuance of her prayers for me. And And if you bring my horse back I will give you ten groats more to carry you on "foot to the college; and fo God bless you, good RICHARD." Walton's Lives, pag. 163.

to me,

*Introd, to Herbert's Life.

+ Epiftle to the reader of the Lives. Edit. 1675.

Two

Two of these lives, viz. thofe of Hooker and Herbert, we are told, were written under the roof of Walton's good friend and patron, Dr. George Morley, bishop of Winchester * ; which particular feems to agree with Wood's account, that," after his quitting London, " he lived mostly in the families of the emi"nent clergy of that time;" and who that confiders the inoffenfiveness of his manners, and the pains he took in celebrating the lives and actions of good men, can doubt his being much beloved by them?

lect In the year 1675, thefe lives were col1670. lected and published in small Octavo, with a dedication to the bishop of Winchester, and a preface, containing the motives for writing them; this preface is followed by a These are copy of verfes, by his intimate friend and adopted font, Charles Cotton, of Beresford 670 in Staffordshire, Efq; of whom further men

in the

tion will hereafter be made, and the letter from bishop King, fo often referred to in the courfe of this life.

The Complete Angler having, in the space of twenty-three years, gone through foureditions, Walton in the year 1676, and in the eighty-third of his age, was preparing a fifth, with additions for the prefs; when Mr. Cot

* Dedication of the Lives. Edit. 1675.

Compl. Angl. Part II.

ton

ton wrote a fecond part of that work. It feems Mr. Cotton fubmitted the manufcript to Walton's perufal, who returned it with his approbation *, and a few marginal ftrictures; and in that year they came abroad together. Mr. Cotton's book had the title of the COMPLETE ANGLER; being Inftructions how to angle for a Trout or Grayling, in a clear ftream, Part II. and it has ever fince been received as a fecond part of Walton's book. In the title page is a cypher, compofed of the initial letters of both their names; which cypher, Mr. Cotton tells us, he had caused to be cut in ftone, and fet up over a fishing-houfe †, that he had erected near his dwelling, on the bank of the little river Dove, which divides the counties of Stafford and Derby.

Mr. Cotton's book is a judicious fupplement to Walton's; for it must not be concealed, that Walton, though he was fo expert an angler, knew but little of fly-fishing; and indeed he is so ingenuous as to confefs, that the greater part of what he has faid on that fubject, was communicated to him by Mr. Thomas Barker ‡, and not the result of his own experience. This Mr. Barker was a good-humoured goffiping old man, and seems to have been a cook; for he says, " he

* See Walton's letter to Cotton, before the 2d Part. + Compl. Angl. Part II. Page 9.

Compl. Angl. Page 112.

b

"had

"had been admitted into the most ambassa"dors kitchens that had come to England "for forty years, and dreft fish for them;" for which, he says, "he was duly paid by the "lord protector." He spent a great deal of time, and, it seems, money too, in fishing; and, in the latter part of his life, dwelt in an almfhouse near the Gatehoufe, at Westminfter. A few years after the first publication of Walton's book, viz. in 1659, he published a book, entitled Barker's Delight, or the Art of Angling. And, for that fingular vein of humour that runs through it, a moft diverting book it is. The dedication of this performance to Edward, lord Montague, general of the navy, is given in the margin; and the reader will meet with fome fur

*Barker's Delight, Page 20.

+ "Noble Lord,

"I do prefent this my book as I have named it, "Barker's Delight, to your honour. I pray God fend you "fafe home, to your good lady and fweet babes. Amen, Amen. " If you fhall find any thing delightful in the reading

of it, I fhall heartily rejoice; for I know you are "one who takes delight in that pleafure, and have good "judgment and experience, as many noble perfons and "gentlemen of true piety and honour do and have.

The favour that I have found from you, and a great "many more, that did and do love that pleafure, fhall "never be bury'd in oblivion by me. I am now grown "old, and am willing to enlarge my little book. I

have written no more but my own experience and "practice; and have fet forth the true ground of ang