Morning journal and courier., 1893-08-05


characters in the "Apgler" frat met, and
on his way to fsh the Lss at
Ware that ''hne, fresh May morning"
makes the pleasant acquaintance of Ven
ator and Auceps. The White Swan Inn
at Tottenhsm was the place where wal
ton tarried going to and coming from the
river Lea. The last time / saw 1t II was
half hidden from the High road and High
Cross, tiny slumberous hostel of the long
ago, white, succeed and gabled, with
patch of garden blossom at ita side and
bit of a skittle alley behind.
just north of Tottenham is Bleak Hall,
at a sleepy hamlet called Cooks Ferry, TO
which PiscsLor led his companions of the
''Angler." Wslton's own picture of the
inn is a plessantsr one than can now be
drawn; "an honest alehouss, where might
be found cleanly room, lavender In the
windows. and twenty ballads stuck about
the walls; with hostess both cleanly and
handsome and civil" 1t was here, over
the eating of the toothsome club that Ven-
ator insisted upon teTming Walton, as Pis-
GATOR, "mastsr." Shortly beyond this the
Lea winds pleasantly near Edminton,
where John Gilpin, from the indecorous
speed of bis horse, missed a comfortable
dinner: and at Hoddeedon above, was the
"Thatcht House." where, st the very out
set of the "Angler's" pleasant experiences,
Venator expressed his purpose of drinking
his "morning draught." From Totem
ham to Ware Ia u pleasant, vagrant iaunt;
but the lover of Walton must needs carry
the coed old Fisherman along with him in
the sweet cradle of his fancy for all the
merest suggestions of compsnionship and
10 these first and oldest IN
Cling hsunts along the river Lea.
Undoubtedly Dove Dale, the waterway
of the vagarous and impstuous river
Dove, forming the boundary between
Derbyahire and Staffordshire in the ro-
mantle region of the Derby Peak, retains
least changed the natural scenes most
loved of Izaak Walton. II Is here his
summer months for years were passed.
In an almost idyllic enjoyment of his ia
yorite pastime, and in a friendship with
Cotton of so perfect a nature that II at
least exalted an otherwise chsracterless
man of no little talent to nobler aspira-
tions and accomplishments. Every one ia
familiar with this strange and unequal at
taohment; how Walton, almost sanity In
character and forty four years the elder OF
the blsse spendthrift and scribbler of un-
readable themss, because his friend and
companion In Beresford Hall; how Cotton
built the famous Fishing House beside
the Dove, with its intertwined eseutcheon
of his own and Wslton's initials and the
motto, ''PiscatoTibus Sacruru;" above the
door; how their affection ripened until
Cotton adopted Walton as his 'fsther" and
Walton the spendthrift gentleman as bis
s'son;" and how 1t all had q good ending
when, at Walton's request, Cotton accom-
plished the beat work of his life In part
second of the angler" being Instruc-
ton How to Angle for Trout or Grayling
In Clear Stream" prefaced by "The Re
TrrHontfara 10 Nv
Izaak Walton" of much poetic power, be-
ginning with the lines,
Farewell thou busy world. and my
We never meet again"
Ialways love to imagine this odd friend
ship not to have been an "unaccountaole"
matter, but an ak6aity of oppositea, be-
ginning away back there as Walton
stretched his legs up Tottenhsm hill' ard
first nat the way ward, i'll directed, though
undoubtedly apprecistive and sympathetic,
Cotton as none other than Venator who,
from the inetinctIve Difference to great
soul which made the word ''master" IN
consciously burst from his lips, came by
degrees of betterment, grateful love and
reverence, to know the gentle angler who
had saved him from himself az father
In the highest and purest spiritual sense
The whole romantic valley is redolent OF
legend and memory of Cotton and Wal
ton. The ancient Beresford Hall is
changed, but the walton Room" is In
tact. The bowling green beside the Dove
Il as 1t WAS nearly a quarter of a thousand
years ago; and the old stone Fishing
House" now more than two hundred
wears old, atill stands in the murmurou'
dale, ons Of the truest monuments In Eng
land to a strange bat Ecsthlsss friendship
The distinction between classes and
masses was immessursbly closer drawn II
England in walton's time than now. Few
| lsymen, ard particularly few trsdesnen
| enjoyed even ordinary familiarity witt
men of consequence in church and state
/ In this respect Walton was an extraordi
| nary exception. All authorities hold tha
/ no man of his time enjoyed go lofty per
| scnal regard among the noblest and mos
/ famous men of that day. Two facts con
tributed to tbi.. Though but simpl'
| linen draper, the gracss Of his perfect lif'
| and the winsome qualities of his intellec
and heart gave him not only the unquah
| fed respect, but the unlimited affection o
men of high degree.
Besides this, his relation by birth aut
marriage made recognition Of his personal
ity and it's logical result q matter of nstu
raj sequence. Some biogrsphers believ
his mother to have been q niece of Arch
bishop Cranmer. His fret wife, Rache
Floud, whom he married In 1925 and VIII
died in 1910, was q greatgraudniecs o
that prelste. His second wife, Anne Ken
whom he married In 1926 and who died 81
1862, was a hslf sister of Bishop Thoma
Ken, author of the Morning and EvenIn
Hymns, and Ihsve seen n memorial table
to her memory, written by Walton him
self, in the Lady chapel of Worcester CO
thedral His son, Izsak, became a cano
In Salisbury cathedral, where bis remain
and thoee Of some of his DESCENDANTS noI
lie.
During many of the later years of Wal
toms life apartments were constantly rt
served for him aud his daughter Anne q
the Episcopal residences of DR.. Ward
bishop of Salisbury, and DR.. Morley, bist
op of Winchester; and the marriage c
this daughter Ammo to DR.. Hawkins, pr,
bendary of Winchester cathedral, In who's
house Walton died December 10, 16s;
centered still closer to historic Winchei
ter, for centuries the royal capital of Ens
land, the closing memories of Walton
peaceful life; while the grand old cath,
dral here became the good mans tomi
Thus memorials in three of England's M
blest ecclesiastical structures preserve b
glorious name.
Because these things shout Walton q,
nowhere collectively made concise al
clear have dwelt upon them here; an
delight also to point out another remarks
BILE fact In his career illustrating how Il
! human intellect secures exalted and poy
, erful sustentation from pure and equsb
physical and moral life. Walton was al
ty years of when his "Compleat Angle
/ first appeared. Three of the remsrksb
series of his Olives" were first publisht
after he was seventy years old. And
the age of ninety, when he wrote the pr
face to "Thealms and Clearchus." )" past
raj poem by John Chalkhill, the ment
!, powers of this noble man were clear Al
: strong and whole. believe there is n
n In the whole range of English literature