and look, brother, at this significant frontispiece, engraved by W. M.; there is the tree of the Church, that a mixed close-cropped rabble of sysmatics are picking and digging at, if by any means they may uproot it from the earth. And there is that man of a tub who has pierced through and through the books of the Liturgy and the Canons: and the Jesuit, with his Roman knife, stripping the bark. But our late pious king, with his sword and sceptre, makes a rout of them, whilst the careful Bishop holds the loved tree in his embrace, and nurtures the roots with the waters of sound doctrine.

PAINTER. And from above the sword of the Spirit invincibly spread out to protect his church, as if to say, I will contend with him 'that contends with thee, and I will save my 'children.'* But for the Printer's address? ANGLER.-Listen. After some notice of the lamented death of Francis Quarles, the reader, is requested to fancy that the author was walking a gentle pace on a 'summer's morning towards a brook, not far 'distant from his peaceful habitation, fitted

with angle, lines, and flyes, proper for the 'fruitfull month of May, intending all diligence to beguile the timorous trout; when he observed a more than common concourse of shepheards, all bending their unwearied steps towards a pleasant meadow within his present 'prospect, and had his eyes made more happy

Is. xlix. 25.

to behold two fair shepheardesses strewing the 'foot paths with lillies and lady-smocks, so newly gathered by their fair hands that they ' yet smelt more sweet than the morning, and immediately he met (attended with Clora and Clorinda, I think were their names, and many other wood nymphs,) the fair and vir 'tuous Parthenia, who after a courteous salutation, told him that the neighbour-shepheards of that part of Arcadia had dedicated that day to be kept holy to the honour of their 'great god Pan; she told him also that Orpheus would be there, and bring his harp, Pan his pipe, and Titerus his oaten-reed to make music at the feast; she therefore per'suaded him not to lose, but to change that day's pleasure.' And (not to detain you with the whole) you are to believe this first acquaintance of the Author with the singlehearted shepheards grew into a friendship; and he would often rest himself among them and their flocks feeding about them, in the calm evening, as he returned from his river recreations, and heard that discourse which (with the Shepheards' names) is presented in these Eglogues.'

HOST. Thus Mr. Walton was enticed to patience; for my master knows his humour, and is never so happy as when he can give him pleasure.

PAINTER. And, if I may judge by these images of rural life, Mr. Walton himself had some participation in the address.

ANGLER. And doubtless he knew that he

might claim Francis Quarles for a worthy brother of the angle.

PAINTER.--What would I not have given to witness the freedom of those three contented gentlemen in the fishing-house!

HOST.-Sirs, I would that you, who are so great lovers of angling, had there seen the sweet compliance and resignation of Mr. Walton: his particular smiling gravity seasons all hist actions, and by little and little the limner became so enamoured of his countenance, that he stamped his very image against the pannel of the cabinet; yet all the while he professed he could not manage it with truth to the original. I well remember what a joy Mr. Cotton expressed by his words and countenance, when the portrait was finished, because he should never be in want of a lively image of his dear adopted father.'

ANGLER. And I may prophecy that the portraiture of our excellent master will be cherished for ages yet to come by all anglers, who may gather from his lineaments the bless. edness of a peaceful spirit.

HOST.-After this was finished, he declared he would have a reward for his conformableness, and be permitted to take his recreation by the river and so it was agreed that he and Mr. Cotton should have a bout of fishing.

ANGLER.-Pr'ythee leave not a word untold of his methods of angling.

HOST. Well, then, Sir! Mr. Cotton gave order to his serving-boy to bring the rods and fishing-harness from the Hall: and to work they

went. Then my master, seeing how Mr. Walton silently busied himself in fixing a worm on the arming of his hook, challenged him to fish with the fly; whereat the other with his own smile (that shews he hath no other season than a continual spring within) answered him; Nay, • Sir, I hope to catch more pounds of fish with 'my brandlings before supper time, than you 'shall do with all your choicest flies.' To this Mr. Cotton replied: Say you so? Let that be a match between us; hither boy! bring my landing net and pannier, and let us down the stream below the swifts.' Then he desired I would attend carefully on Mr. Walton; and said, Farewell Mr. Piscator, and 'look how you put your angle to good use, for now you are not on the banks of your Lea, but must fish in clear Derbyshire streams :' to which the other returned him a pleasant nod of the head; and all the while he had prepared his tackling, without any noise, and dropped his line with a sober mischievous look into the Pike Pool: then seeing his quill to dip suddenly, he answered with a gaiety, Anon Sir! look 'you there;-for I am certain I have a nabble.' HOST.-And true it was, for he hook'd a trout, and, you may believe me, a big one.

PAINTER. I suspect he had an old acquaintance with that pool.

HOST.-And he handled his fish with a singular discretion, and then I landed him by his desire in the net. No sooner did Mr. Cotton see this, than he was suddenly resolved to be away, and said: Marry, Sir! that is an ill

6

' omen for my match. Come, boy! the wind sets 'from this bank, keep aloof from the stream :' and with that he went towards a choice part lower down, where an angler, that is an artist, may scarce miss his entertainment.

ANGLER.-You waited then on Mr. Walton? I am ready to envy you such a pleasure, and the advantage of learning some of his devices in angling.

HOST.-Believe me, Sir, you would also love to hear him discourse; for he proportions a!! he says with a most pleasing contexture of grave and cheerful things, and delights in contemplating the beauty and order of the works of God; and he naturally turns the thoughts of his companions to the Great Architect, that contrived the wonderful structure of them; persuading them to the belief that the most true, and only secure, happiness is in virtue.

PAINTER. That is a cheerful industrious Christian, who doth not lay up religion like a suit, to be kept for holidays; but sucks divinity out of every flower, and in a secret way turns it into honey.

HOST.-And all the while he discourses, you may see him handle his rod with a master's skill: and he has some commixture of oil and gums or other experimental artifices that most anglers have no knowledge of, to tempt the trouts to his hook.

ANGLER. I have not a doubt it is that receipt of his friend, Richard Roe, as given by Mr. John Davors, in his Secrets of Angling; and I