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weighed against those of a mind stored, like his, with a great variety of useful knowledge, and a temper that could harbour no malevolent thought or insidious design, nor stoop to the arts of fraud or flattery, but dispose him to love and virtuous friendship, to the enjoyments of innocent delights and recreations, to the contemplation of the works of Nature and the ways of Providence, and to the still sublimer pleasures of rational piety.

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If, possessing all these benefits and advantages, external and internal, (together with a mental constitution so happily attempered, as to have been to him a perpetual fountain of cheerfulness,"†) we can entertain a doubt that Walton was one of the happiest of men, we estimate them at a rate too low; and shew ourselves ignorant of the nature of that felicity to which it is possible, even in this life, for virtuous and good men, with the blessing of God, to arrive.

COPY OF WALTON'S WILL

August the ninth, one thousand six hundred eighty-three.

In the Name of God, Amen: I, IZAAK WALTON the elder, of Winchester, being this present day in the ninetyeth year of my age, and in perfect memory, for which praised be God; but considering how suddenly I may be deprived of both, do thereore make this my last Will and Testament as followeth: And first, I do declare my belief to be, that there is only one God, who hath made the whole world, and me, and all mankind; to whom I shall give an account of all my actions, which are not to be justified, but I hope pardoned, for the merits of my Saviour Jesus: And because the profession of Christianity does, at this time, seem to be subdivided into Papist and Protestante, I take it at least to be convenient, to declare my belief to be, in all points of faith, as the Church of England now professeth and this I do the rather, because of a very long and very true friendship with some of the Roman Church. And for my worldly estate, (which I have neither got by falsehood or flattery, or the extreme cruelty of the law of this nation, I do hereby give and bequeath it as followeth : First, • Vide infra, in his Will.

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+ See his Preface, wherein he declares that though he can be serious at seasonable times, he is a lover of innocent, harmless mirth, and that his book is a "picture of his own disposition."

Alluding, perhaps, to that fundamental maxim of our law, "Summum jus est summa injuria."

I give my son-in-law, Dr Hawkins, and to his wife; to them I give all my title and right of or in a part of a house and shop, in Paternoster Row, in London, which I hold by lease from the Lord Bishop of London for about fifty years to come. And I do also give to them all my right and title of or to a house in Chancery Lane, London, wherein Mrs Greinwood now dwelleth, in which is now about sixteen years to come : I give these two leases to them, they saving my executor from all damage concerning the same. And I give to my son Izaak all my right and title to a lease of Norington farme, which I hold from the Lord Bishop of Winton: And I do also give him all my right and title to a farme or land near to Stafford. which I bought of Mr Walter Noell; I say, I give it to hin and his heirs for ever; but upon the condition following namely, if my son shall not marry before he shall be of age o forty and one years, or, being married, shall dye before the said age, and leave no son to inherit the said farme or land. or if his son or sons shall not live to attain the age of twenty and one years, to dispose otherways of it, then I give the said farme or land to the towne or corporation of Stafford, in which I was borne, for the good and benefit of some of the said towne, as I shall direct, and as followeth, (but first note, that it is at this present time rented for twenty-one pound ten shillings a year, and is like to hold the said rent, if care be taken to keep the barn and housing in repair ;) and I would have, and do give ten pounds of the said rent, to bind out yearly, two boys, the sons of honest and poor parents, to be apprentices to some tradesman or some handy-craft men, to the intent the same boys may the better afterward get their own living. And I do also give five pound yearly, out of the said rent, to be given to some maid-servant, that hath attained the age of twenty and one years, not less, and dwelt long in one service, or to some honest poor man's daughter, that hath attained to that age, to be paid her at or on the day of her marriage and this being done, my will is, that what rent shall remain of the said farme or land, shall be disposed of as followeth first, I do give twenty shillings yearly, to be spent by the major of Stafford, and those that shall collect the said rent and dispose of it as I have and shall hereafter direct; and that what money or rent shall remain undisposed of, shall be employed to buy coals for some poor people, that shall most 1.eed them, in the said towne; the said coals to be delivered. the first weeke in January, or in every first week in February ; I say then, because I take that time to be the hardest and most pinching times with poor people and God reward those that

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shall do this without partiality, and with honesty, and a good conscience. And if the said major and others of the said town of Stafford shall prove so negligent, or dishonest, as not to mploy the rent by me given as intended and exprest in this my will, which God forbid,-then I give the said rents and profits of the said farme, or land, to the towne, and chief magistrates or governors, of Ecleshall, to be disposed of by them in such manner as I have ordered the disposal of it by the towne of Stafford, the said farme or land being near the towne of Ecleshall. And I give to my son-in-law, Dr Hawkins, whom I love as my own son and to my daughter, his wife and my son Izaak; to each of them a ring, with these words or motto; "Love my memory, I. W. obiit ;" to the Lord Bishop of Winton a ring, with this motto: "A mite for a million, I. W. obiit ;" and to the friends hereafter named, I give to each of them a ring with this motto: "A friend's farewell, I. W. obiit And my will is, the said rings be delivered within forty days after my death; and that the price or value of all the said rings shall be thirteen shillings and fourpence a-piece. I give to Dr Hawkins, Doctor Donne's Sermons, which I have heard preacht, and read with much content. To my son Izaak, I give Dr Sibbs his " Soul's Conflict;" and to my daughter his Bruised Reed,"* desiring them to read them so as to be well acquainted with them. And I also give into her all my books at Winchester and Droxford, and whatever in those two places are, or I can call mine, except a trunk of linen, which I give to my son Izaak: but if he do not live to marry, or make use of it, then I give the same to my grandaughter, Anne Hawkins. And I give my daughter Doctor Hall's Works, which be now at Farnham. To my son Izaak I give all my books, not yet given, at Farnham Castell; and a deske of prints and pictures; also a cabinett near my bed's head, in which are some little things that he will value, though of no great worth. And my will and desire is, that he shall be kind to his aunt Beachame, and his aunt Rose Ken; by allowing the first about fifty shillings a-year, in or for bacon and cheese, not more, and paying four pounds a year towards the boarding of her son's dyet to Mr John Whitehead: for his aunt Ken, I desire him to be kind to her according to her necessitie and his own abilitie; and commend one of her children, to breed up as I have said

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This book was an instrument in the conversion of Mr Richar Baxter. See Dr Calamy's Life of him, page 7.

intend to do, if he shall be able to do it, as I know he will for they be good folke. I give to Mr John Darbyshire the Sermons of Mr Anthony Farringdon, or of Dr Sanderson which my executor thinks fit. To my servant, Thomas Edgill, I give five pound in money, and all my cloths, liner and woollen, except one suit of cloths, which I give to Mr Holinshed, and forty shillings, if the said Thomas be my servant at my death; if not, my cloths only. And I give my old friend, Mr Richard Marriot,* ten pounds in money, to be paid him within three months after my death; and I desire my son to shew kindness to him if he shall neede, and my son can spare it. And I do hereby will and declare my son Izaak to be my sole executor of this my last will and testament; and Dr Hawkins, to see that he performs it; which I doubt not but he will. I desire my burial may be near the place of my death, and free from any ostentation or charge, but privately. This I make to be my last will, (to which I shall only add the codicil for rings,) this sixteenth day of August, one thousand six hundred eighty-three, ZAAK WALTON. Witness to this will.

The rings I give are as on the other side. To my brother, John Ken; to my sister, his wife; to my brother, Doctor Ken; to my sister Pye; to Mr Francis Morley; to Mr George Vernon; to his wife; to his three daughters; to Mistris Nelson; to Mr Richard Walton; to Mr Palmer; to Mr Taylor; to Mr Thomas Garrard; to the Lord Bishop of Sarum; to Mr Rede, his servant; to my cousin, Dorothy Kenrick; to my cousin Lewin; to Mr Walter Higgs; to Mr Charles Cotton; to Mr Richard Marryot-twenty-two. To my brother Beacham ; to my sister, his wife; to the Lady Anne How; to Mrs King, Dr Phillips's wife; to Mr Valentine Harecourt; to Mrs Eliza Johnson; to Mrs Mary Rogers; to Mrs Eliza Milward; to Mrs Dorothy Wollop; to Mr Will. Milward, of Christchurch, Oxford; to Mr John Darbyshire; to Mr Undevill; to Mrs Rock; to Mr Peter White; to Mr John Lloyde; to my cousin, Creinsell's widow; Mrs Dalbin must not be forgotten-sixteen. IZAAK WALTON. Note, that several lines are blotted out of this will, for they were twice repeated, and that this will is now signed and sealed this twenty and fourth day of October, one thousand six hundred eighty-three, in the presence of us : Witness, ABRAHAM MARKLAND, JOS. TAYLOR, THOMAS CRAWLEY

Bookseller and his Publisher,

THE

EPISTLE DEDICATORY.

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL

JOHN OFFLEY, ESQ.

OF MADELY MANOR, IN THE COUNTY OF STAFFORD.

MY MOST HONOURED FRIEND,

SIR,I have made so ill use of your former favours, as by them to be encouraged to entreat, that they may be enlarged to the patronage and protection of this book: and I have put on a modest confidence that I shall not be denied, because it is a discourse of fish and fishing, which you know so well, and both love and practise so much.

You are assured, though there be ignorant men of another belief, that angling is an art, and you know that art better than others; and that this truth is demonstrated by the fruits of that pleasant labour which you enjoy, when you purpose to give rest to your mind, and divest yourself of your more serious business, and (which is often) dedicate a day or two to this recreation.

At which time, if common anglers should attend you, and be eyewitnesses of the success, not of your fortune, but your skill, it would doubtless beget in them an emulation to be like you, and that emulation might beget an industrious diligence to be so; but I know it is not attainable by common capacities. And there be now many men of great wisdom, learning, and experience, which love and practise this art, that know I speak the truth.

Sir, this pleasant curiosity of fish and fishing, of which you are so great a master, has been thought worthy the pens and practices of divers in other nations, that have been reputed men of great learning and wisdom, And amongst those of this nation, I remember Sir Henry Wotton (a dear lover of this art) has told me, that his intentions were to write a discourse

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