Morning journal and courier., 1893-08-05
wAKEMAN,s WANDERINGs.

Izaak Walton,s Haunts and Shrine
Complete Obliteration OF the Lon
don surroundings of the Gentle An
gler-The Rivers Lea and Dove and
Their Relics OF WaIton's Early
Haunts-His Old Time Presence
Still a Memory Halo Upon the
Streams aud Wales of Hampshire
His Grave in winchester Cathedral.
LONDON, July "a.
To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
No single work written within the last
two hundred and fifty years has had uni
vcrsally 80 wholesome influence as Izaak
Waltop's Complete Angler" and can
call to mind no other writer who has,
during the same period, through his sweet
and calm personality and work, 30 held,
If often unwittingly and unrehltzed, what
may be termed the literary conscience of
mankind so tenderly close to the tranquil
izing touch of natures outstretched tender
hand.
This is not only fact of tender signih-
cancs as showing the value and permanen-
cy of purity and simplicity in all ers, but
1t is tribute to the heslthfulneas of mo-
tive In sought-for source of inspiration by
literary people; and Its accuracy is easily
shown, IL needs be, in an imperative man
ner by citation, contrast and illustration
from the best known literature between
Walton's time and this. In many in
stances It has been clearly acknowledged
by literary men themselves. In others
the Identification Is 80 clear and true as 10
admit of no possible doubt. The frank
est, though still indirect, and the most
clearly traced Indebtedness of this prompt
ing influence to nature-lovlng in those
whose genius transmits the same lovable
quality to others, ia made by that master
of English prose, Washington Irving.
While under the spell of Walton he be-
came for the nonoe an angler. 81 hooked
| myself" he charmingly confesses, 'in-
stead Of the fish; tangled my line in every
| tree; lost my bait; broke my rod; until
gave up the attempt in despair, and passed
the day under the trees, reading old Izaak
satisfied that 1t was his charming vein OF
honest simplicity and rural feeling that
had bewItohed me; and not the passion
for angling" We are certainly largely In
debted to this bewitchment by Walton OF
! Irving for that rambling. nature commuu
ing mood whence was filtered though hii
loving fancy the folklore of the legend
haunted Hudson, and gave us the sweetest
and bsst of all his work in those tender
tales of the sketch book.
| No less undeniably, and far more con
sciously and direct, has Wordsworth, him
self divine interpreter of natures holies
moods and influences, paid tribute to Wal
toms power for purest inspiration. HI
tells us of "meek Wslton's hesvenl!
memory" one of the most beautiful ex
pressions of praise and reverence to b
found in our language; and In the cam
| tribute to Walton's Lives of Hooker, San
derson, Wooton, Donne and George Her
bert, Wordsworth again bursts forth II
this incompatible strain of eulogy:
There are NO colors in the fairest sky
So fair as these. The feather, whence the pen
| Was shaped that traced the lives OF these goo
men,
. | Dropped from angels wing.
Pages could be filled with most brief
noted admissions by the immortals of tn
7 | gentle anglers subtle power to draw ther
r | to the everything fountain of purity, sim
| plicity and truth. Justly tnen, Izss
Walton and his work must be framed In
different perspective than that of thei
commonly accepted setting. he must nc
be merely regarded ss "honest Izsak Wa
ton, father of the gentle art of angling.
There were able writers before his tim
upon this engaging diversion. Most c
what he wrote, as purely instructive, hs
been more than half q century out of dat,
One must be more than a deft and success
full angler to be a disciple of Walton, an
this truly lovsble epithet lie aln,ost tnive
sally misspplied. would ssy then ths
the name and fame of Izask Walton II
crease with the centuries because trul
good and sweetly pious life with q glor
GUS genius constantly shine clearer an
brighter through his incompatible page
into our later and better understanding
His "Complet Angler" 1t must be remsu
bered Is also the "Contemplative Man
Recreation" is an imperishabls shrine
the world of letters because, after the
BILE, 1t is the most perfect guide to 81
worship of nature and natures God Il
gether to which we have access. And b
ing "a disciple of Walton" must come
mean not merely one who can land trol
OF grayling prettily, but that one who,
any vocation or avocation, is heart ar
soul attuned to the God, sent hsrmonies
nature through the measureless peace
?, pure and perfect life.
y With this spirit of loving remembranc
| quest for the oldeu haunte OF w alton o
10 comes almost q reverentisl pilgrimage.
d a half months time it will be three hu
,e dred years since his birth, August vt
r. 1893, In Staffordshire; about two hundr'
ID and seventy years since actual knovlsd
a. of his existence as "ssmpster" or lin,
I'd draper In the Royal Burse, Cornhi
I, where the Royal Exchange now stand
g. was made q matter of record, by dee
be and Just two hundred and forty years sin
be the frst sale sat eighteen pence price"
Richard Merriot in st. Dunstan's churc
no yard, Fleet street, of copies of the fl
is edition of the "Compleat Angler" T
is London, indeed one might say that En-
10 land, of that time is no more. Loiter a
as delve as one may about old Fleet strt
mt and Chancery Lane, there is not sini
ay existing reminder of Walton and his tin
re-. So far as am able to discover in the {
nd tire worlds metropolis there Ia but ol
ss. That Is the initials and date, 81. '
W. 1865" on the stone tablet to Isaac Casi
ng bon In Westminster Abbey's south til
by sept 1t was scratched there by Wall
on himself, and is desecration now ch
Ill ba x-nnld O,