New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-11
THE LITERATURE OF ANGLING.
WALTON AND SOME EARLIER WRITER'S -.
FISH AND FISHING BY r. +. Mars'oh' ~
A

THE LITERAIt KE OF H->bbi-N'
WALTON mp s3ME EA RI K w Marson P PD
NV 264. A. G. Armstrong a. Son
II can hardly be said that the chapter in Eng
ism literature to which this book refers has been
neglected Nevertheless. it will prove welcome
addition to The Book-Lovers Library Not all
who love Walton go a-fshing. There are mag
NATIVE creatures who have never mastered '"e
art Of angling. and yet delight IN the sce"es
which he describes and even in the more aostuSe
matters Of rod and hook and fly because ne en-
plains them English literature Is full OF the
love OF nature. but nowhere is the expression OF "
more clearly genuine than In walton ana MS
d;scinle Cotton There is never an inappropr-
ate word to betray that they have observed win
other mons eyes and this Is a mishap when
has occurred TO many a good writer Inc man
OF the study is bound to be caught soon OF 'd'e'
Mr. Marstons little book shows that the h'er-
Azure of angling in England began long oeio'e
the time Of The Compleat Angler he REFERS
10 a manuscript OF the fifteenth century poem"
called piers Fulham. or of whlch 'he ""'"o'
,,oi,,s ~ no Piers Fulham to show that the
phrase which described angling as the co"'e'"-
Native mans recreation was not wholly orig
inal with Walton. Piers Fulham IL seems '"u
ALREADY seen the aptness Of the adjective which
no contemplate,
applied it TO fowlers as we'll as hsherneh' LINES
author fourished about 1i2o
The clos, Of the same century witnessed the
nublication of The Book Of St. Adams 'he
first work in the languag to treat Systematically
~ sporting 1t contained in the hrst edi'ion
parts treating of hawking hunting and coat
aru,or and in the second a treatise on angling
All or some of these parts have been attributed
IN tho learned pen Of Dame Juana Bernefs
though the point is in dispute. ana there are
u.ri,ers WIN even doubt whether this lady ever
lived William Blades the famous expert IN
Caxtoniana doubted her authorship OF the paf'
on angling but credited her with the part on
hunting Mr. Van Sicle1 in an American re-
print took the ground that only woman '""'u
give such directions for making roo "' 80
forth so many arguments where the CONCLUSIONS
did not follow from the premises as are i"u'"
in the Treatise Of Fishing with an Angie Inc
CONTROVERSY is not very important. But Ii l.
curious that 50 early treatise should describe
so many practices which are still IN existence.
The directions for making rod could Dc borrower
exactly at the present day. ana 'he P'ou"''
would be a well-scasoned rod in three pieces
NJ N,rstor observes rather gleefuy that Wal
toms recipes for coloring horsehair are III sew
oval cases borrowed almost word for word from
BcrnerS.
edgment The hfteenth-century fisherman could
not buy his hooks. and So he was carefuiIY IN
structed in this work how to bend and temper
steel noodles 70 his purpose. The instructions
for making floats" adds Mr.. Mars;on. have
never been improved upon" Nevertheless. the
ancient work has been subjected 10 a great deal
~ ridicule but this was from those who looked
no further than the clumsy pictures. Dame
Rerners knew all the best bats that are known
nov and she was the first Of writer's 10 give a
main account Of ny-hshing She even gave
list Of artificial flies for each month OF the
wear She was not only practical but oh" FELT
the idvllic attractions Of her theme, just as Wal
ton did In his turn
4 century after her came the pioneer ~ fsh
culture In England. Leonard Mascan. and n"
also wrote a book on angling and ano'her on
traps and trapping. He borrowed much from
Dame Berners and much besides from rren'h
work OF his time. few years AFTER MS po'A
appeared a block-etter reprint OF me Book "l
s.; Adams" with a new title ana many Nar''-
tions and in 1913 the Secrets of Angling NY
John Dennys poem which passed und"r various
names until the records OF Staiioneis ia" IT,
,oa,ed the ,rue author Gervase Markham. in
his Art Of Angling" made a prose version ana
something more Of Dennys's work. and after Fin
came the trout fisherman. Barker. with his quain'
hook "Barkers Delight" He brings the line OF III
erarv succession down TO Walton. or course
Mr. Marsion gives most Of his book 10 discus
e;on Of Walton but it is worth observing mat IL
really took more than hand and more than
ono centurv 70 bring 10 perfection the flower 81
hooks ON angling That Is the lesson Of literary
history not ONLY In this case. but In that 81
everv hook which has permanent place
T., tho regard Of all mankind.