Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-08-05


influence as lzaak Walions complete
Angler" and can call TO mind no
other writer who has, during the same
period, through his sweet and calm per
sonaliy and work, so held-if often un.
Willingly and unrealized--what may be
termed the literary conscience Of man
kind so iendcrly close TO the tranquliz-
Ing touch Of natures ouisuetchcd
tender hand.
This is not only a fac, Of excellent
significance as showing the value and
permanency Of purity and simplicity m
all art, but is a tribute TO the healihlul-
ness Of motive in sought for source Of
inspiration by literary people, and It's
accuracy is easily shown. Il needs be,
In an impressive manner by citation,
contrast and illustration from the best
known literature between Waltons time
and this. In many instances II has been
clearly acknowledged by literary men
themselves. In others, the Identified
ton IS so slear aud true as to admit Of
no possible doubt, The frankcst,
though still indirect, and the most clear
ly traced indebtedness Of this prompting
influence to nature.lovng Ia those
whose genius transmits the same lovablc
quality to others, Is made by that
master Of English prose, Washington
Irving.
While under the spell Of Walton he
became for the noncc an angler. 81
hooked myself" he charmingly con.
icsses, instead 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 lzaak, satisfied that 1t
was his charming vein Of honest sim
plicity and rural feeling that had be-
witchcd me, and nc' the passion for
angling" We are certainly largely
indebted to this bcWitchmcnt by Walton
Of Irving for that rambling, nature com
muning mood whence was filtered
through his loving fancy the folklore Of
the legend.haunted Hudson. and gave
Ia those tender tales OF the Sketch
Book.
No less undeniably, and FAR more con.
sciously and direct, has Wordsworth,
himself divine interpreter OF natures
| holicst moods and influences, paid tri-
| butte to Maltun's power for purest inspi.
ration. lie tells US Of meek Walton's
! heavenly memory" one OF the most
Na.s. al 81
| reverence to be found in our language;
and In the same tribute to Waiton's
! Lives Of Hooker, Sanderson, Wootun,
Dome, and George Herbert, Words.
worth again bursts fourth m this incom-
parable strain OF eulogy:
There are no colors in the liirest sky
So fair as these. The feather, whence
the pen
Was shaped that traced the lives Of
/ these good men,
Dropped from an angels wing.
Pages could be filled with most briefly
noted admissions by the immoftals Of
the gentle anglers subtle power to draw
/ them 10 the everything fountain OF
purity, simplicity and truth. Justly then,
| LEAK Walton aud his work must be
framed In a different perspective than
| that OF their commonly.acccpied setting.
| lie must not be merely regarded as
honest lzaak Walton. father OF the
| gentle art OF angling" There were able
writers before his time upon this cngag.
| my diversion. Most Of what he wrote,
as purely instructive, has been more
| than half a century out Of date. one
must be more than def and successful
angler 10 be disciple OF Walton and
! this truly loyahle tpthct Is almost uni-
yefsally misapplicd. would say then,
that the name and fame Of lzaaS Wal
ton increase with the centuries because
a truly good aud sweeily pious life with
| a glorious genius constantly shine
| clearer and brighter through his neon.
| parable pages into our later aud better
Understandings. His Complete An.
gler," which It must be remembered Is
also the "Contemplltiye Mans Recrea.
! ton is an impefIshable shrine In the
! world Of letters, because alter the Bible
! Il is the most perfect guide to the wOr-
ship OF nature aud natures God together
to which we have access And being
"a disciple OF Walton" must come 10
mean not merely one who can land a
trout or grayling preluy but that one
( who, m any vocation, Is heart and soul
atluntd to the Gudsent harmunies of
nature through the mcasurcless peace OF
pure aud perfect lie.
With this. spirit OF loving remembr-
ance, a quest for the oldcn haunts OF
Walton becomes almost a rrverential
pilgrimage. In a half months time IL
! viii be 500 years since his birth, August
@, 1898, IN StaiordshrC. about 40 years
since actual knowledge OF his existence
as a 'sempstur' or linen draper IN the
! Royal BuIse, Comhlll, where the Royal
! Exchange now stands, was made a
matter Of record by deed; aud lust 2t1
years since the hrst sale AT eighteen
pence puce by Richard Merriot IN ST.
Dunstans Church Yard, Fleet Street, Of
| copies OF the FIRST edition OF the Com.
pleat Angler The London, indeed
one might say the England, OF that
/ time Is no more. Lottf and delve as
one may about old Fleet Street and
ChanUery Lane, there Is not a single
existing reminder of Walton and his
time SO lar as ! am able to discover IN
the entire worlds metropolis there Is
but one. That Is the initials and date,
"l W., Ib5a," ON the stone tablet o.
Isaac CasauUun in Westminster Abbey IS
south transept II was scratched there
hy Walton himself and is a dissertation
now cherished by all Britain. Who
would ever glance al the pages OF
"Casaubonana' today or remember
that lanes J. made Clsauhon prgben.
diary of Westminster and Canterbury
save Tor this silent token OF lzaak Wal.
toms regard
The scene OF the "Anglar' lies direct.
Ia north of London along the river ga.