New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-04-17

of Their Lives and tamIly ,I1,5sos Illus
trations 12mo, PIP. 22l- Lonsmahs' D'ee
& Co.
The Amateur Angler Edward Marston. again
takes I'D in his old age, the pen with Whlch lie
has so often won the liking Of the Brothers OF
the Brook and the Book. In easy and gehlal
faebion he rossips about those two good men
and honest anglers, Bishop Ken and his brother
,,-,.u, 1zaak walton Not that Ken-who is
chiefly remembered the author OF TWO glorious
HYMNS. Awake. My Soul" and GLORY to Thee,
NJ Cod This NIght"-ever took the spec<led
creatures from the waters of the River Lea but
esber NJ men he was and successful In his
sa,, and generation He was a boy of nine
,-ears when his half Anne became the
wife the dear Kenua," Of Master Walton; ne
was thirtv-two when, a dignltary OF WIN
chester Cathedral he wrote those Famous
hvr1ns As an old man he used 10 sing '"e'"
himself morning and evening TO the accom-
paniment of his lutte; at the time the! "e'e
,,.-i++en the little choristers Of the cathedral
,io,,e1,- chanted them in their dormitory some
time Ken spent in the Netherlands as chapla'n
20 Mary. Princess of Orange, and we have a
s-in,pse of him when interfering between nus
hand and wife, he roundly condemned Will
Jams treatment of Mary. The prince was "roth'
INT after all respected the Englishman's courage.
that Of his attendance upon the dying cynic
Charles H. He was Bishop of Bath and Wells
then, and he remained three days and nights be
side the King exhorting at intervals. but not
making much impression upon that queer being.
One good thing he tells US. he did bring about.
He persuaded Charles to see his poor, ugly,
black-a- vised little Queen Katharine and to ask
her forgiveness for his many sins against her
Then they say, the Anglican Bishop was hurried
away and the priest Of Rome was brought up
the hack stairs 70 shrive his penitent. One later
exnerfence of Kerr's was full of horror 1t
he who was hidden by James II to prepare for
death his unfortunate nephew, the Duke of
Monmouth He stood beside the handsome
Young fellow on the scafod and the decapi-
tation which the executioner, who was either
frightened or clumsy, prolonged and bungled in
way that made the spectators blood run cold.
To-day, even. t is shocking to read OF the look
which the silent victim gave TO the man after
the first blow of the axe which wounded but did
not kill That scene must have haunted tho
good Bishops dreams for many night there
after It may have moved him to his work of
mercy in interceding with the stupid and cruel
King for the sufferers at the hands Of Kirke-
st any rate, he saved hundred prisoners from
death He was entirely out Of sympathy with
James. and he voted for the continuation Of the
administration by the Prince Of Orange; but he
held nevertheless that a regency should be
established or that Mary should be sole sovtr-
eign. He would not take the oath of allegiance
TO King William and Queen Maryland so
came to an end for conscicnce's sake. the eccIe-
siasticaI career Of Thomas Kerr Bishop no
more. he spent the rest of his life poor man
in learned retirement He was as fearless in
death as in life. With his own hands he dressed
Ii, bo
tired head upon the pillow and with one little
sigh gone
How many editions of his 6rother-in-Iaw's
famous book have been printed ?-probably the
number cannot be determined with absolute Ger
tainty Mr.. Marston notes that the hundredth
edition was published in 1888, and there must
have been issued at least twenty editions since
then We'll done. old Truepennyl" mankind
NAV well say TO the writer Of that most gentle
and lovabIe "Compleat Angler" We know some
thing of the course Of Master Izaaks life, bur Il
Is singularly little in view of the fact that he
who died at ninety was the object Of the de
votel friendship of divers men Of brains and of
literary ability AS for his early occupation. for
example we do not know whether he was in
truth al ironnonger. Possibly he was bahar
dasher or perhaps he was neither In his later
years. it has been discovered. he held the lease
Of a farm OF a thousand acres. but whether he
did anything with it save 10 fish in its streams
no man can say Mr.. Marston's MARSHALL az
details aptly shows how slowly these. one bv
one. have come to light. It is not impossible
that other records may Yet be found Among
the many Illustrations of the book in hand are
several showing the memorials to Walton which
now exist in England. They are without excep-
ton painfully inadequate That need not trouble
us-we may guess that the faithful affection of
his disciples through past centuries and CEN