In an ancient infcription yet extant, it is faid of a Roman Citizen, that he knew not how to speak injurioufly-NESCIVIT MALEDICERE. We may obferve of Ifaac Walton, that he was ignorant how to write of any man with acrimony and harfhness. This liberality of difpofition will ever recommend him to his readers. Whatever are the religious fentiments of the persons, whom he introduces to our notice, how widely foever they differ from his own; we difcover not, in his remarks, the petulance of indifcriminate reproach, or the malignancy of rude invective. The mild spirit of moderation breathes almost in every page. I can only lament one inftance of severity, for which however feveral pleas of extenuation might readily be admitted.

He is known to have acquired a relish for the fine arts. Of paintings and prints he had formed a small, but valuable collection'. And we may prefume, that he had an attachment to and a knowledge of mufic. His affection for facred mufic may be inferred from that animated, I had al

At his death, he bequeathed one meffuage or tenement, at Shalford in the county of Stafford, with all the land thereto belonging, of the clear yearly value of twenty pounds ten fhillings and fixpence; of which, ten pounds are appropriated, every year, to the putting out two boys, fons of honeft and poor parents, to be apprentices to tradefmen, or handicraftsmen; and five pounds to fome maid-fervant, that hath attained the age of twenty-one years (not lefs), and dwelt long in one fervice; or to fome honeft poor man's daughter, that hath attained to that age, to be paid her at, or on the day of her marriage. What money or rent shall remain undisposed of, he directs to be employed in the purchase of coals, for fome poor people, that fhall need them: the faid coals to be diftributed in the last week of January, or every first week in February; because he confiders that time to be the hardest, and most pinching.

time.

f In his last will, he leaves to his fon "all his books, not yet given, at Farnham Caftell, and a deske of prints and pictures; also a cabinet, in which are fome little things, that he will value, though of no great worth."

"He that at midnight, when the very labourer fleeps fecurely, fhould hear, as I have often done, the fweet defcants, the natural rifing and falling, the doubling and redoubling of the nightingale's voice, might well be lifted above earth, and fay, Lord, what music haft thou provided for the faints in heaven, when thou affordest bad men fuch mufic upon earth?”, (Complete Angler, P. I. Ch. I.).

moft faid, that enraptured language which he adopts, whenever the fubject occurs to him. It will be cafily recollected, that Ken, his brother-in-law, whofe morning, evening, and midnight hymns, endear his memory to the devout Chriftian, began the duties of each day with facred melody. And that between men perfectly congenial in their fentiments and habits of virtue, a fimilarity of difpofition in this inftance fhould prevail, is far from being an unreafonable fuggeftion. That he had an inclination to poetry, we may conclude from his carly intimacy with Michael Drayton, "the Golden-mouthed Poet;" a man of an amiable difpofition, of mild and modeft manners, whofe poems are much lefs read than they deferve to be. It is needless to remark that on the first publication of a work it was ufual for the friends of the author to prefix to it recommendatory verses. Ifaac Walton, whofe circle of friends was very extenfive indeed, often contributed his share of encomium on these occafions. To his productions of this kind no other commendations can be allowed, than that they were fincere memorials of his grateful and tender regard. It must however be added, that he never debafed his talents by offering the incenfe of Adulation, at the shrine of Infamy and Guilt. The perfons, whom he favoured with thefe marks of his attention, were not undeferving of praise. Such, for inftance, was William Cartwright, who, though he died in the thirtieth year of his age, was the boaft and ornament of the Univerfity of Oxford, as a divine, a philofopher, and a poet". Dr. Fell, Bishop of Oxford, declared him to be, "the utmoft man can come to;" and Ben Jonson was wont to fay of him, "My fon Cartwright writes all like a man." And here an opportunity prefents itself of afcertaining the author of "The Synagogue, or the Shadow of the Temple," a collection of facred poems ufually annexed to Mr. George Herbert's "Temple." Mr. Walton has addreffed fome encomiaftic lines to him, as his friend; and in "The Complete Angler," having inferted from that collection, a little poem, entitled "The Book of Common Prayer," he exprefsly affigns it, and of course the whole work

See "Comedies, Tragi-comedies, with other Poems, by William Cartwright, late Student of Christ Church in Oxford, and Proctor of the Univerfity. London, 1651."

work, to a reverend and learned divine, Mr. Chriftopher Harvie, that profeffes to imitate Mr. Herbert, and bath indeed done fo most excellently; and of whom he adds pleasantly, "you will like him the better, because he is a "friend of mine, and I am fure no enemy to angling."

Faithfully attached to the Church of England, he entertained the higheft veneration for her discipline and doctrines. He had not been an inattentive spectator of the rapid progress of the sectaries, hastening from one degree of injuftice to another, until an univerfal anarchy confummated the ruin of our ecclefiaftical conftitution. In his Laft Will he has announced an ingenuous and decided avowal of his religious principles, with a defign, as it has been conjectured, to prevent any fufpicions that might arise of his inclination to Popery, from his very long and very true friendship with fome of the Roman Communion. But a full and explicit declaration of his Christian faith, and the motives which enforced his fericus and regular attendance upon the fervice of that Church in which he was educated, are delivered, with great propriety and good fenfe, in his own words. For thus he writes in a letter to one of his friends. "I go fo conftantly to the f 2 "church

See "The Complete Angler," P. LXVIII. and p. 123, edit of 1773. We find the name of Chriftopher Harvie fubfcribed to " Verfes addreffed to the Reader of the Complete Angler." He is probably the fame perfon, who was the author of "The Right Rebel. London, 1661," 8vo.-a treatife, discovering the true ufe of the name, by the nature of rebellion; with the properties and practices of rebels, applicable to all, both old and new fanaticks: by Christopher Harvey, Vicar of Clifton in Warwickshire. He was a minifter's son, in Cheshire, and was educated in Braze-nofe College, Oxford. See "Wood's Ath. Ox. . Vol. II. col. 268.

A steady friendship subsisted between Mr. Walton and Mr. James Shirley, who, having been ordained a clergyman of the established Church, renounced his religion, for that of the Church of Rome. He is defcribed by Phillips, in his "Theatrum Poetarum," printed at London, in 1675, as "a juft pretender to more than the meaneft place among the English poets, but most especially for dramatic poefy; in which he hath written both very much, and, for the most part, with that felicity, that by fome he is accounted little inferior to Fletcher himself." See "The Life of Mr. Herbert," p. 390..

"church fervice to adore and worship my God, who hath made me of

nothing, and preferved me from being worfe than nothing. And this "worship and adoration I do pay him inwardly in my foul, and testifie it "outwardly by my behaviour; as namely, by my adoration, in my for"bearing to cover my head in that place dedicated to God, and only to his "fervice; and alfo, by ftanding up at profeffion of the Creed, which con"tains the feveral articles that I and all true Chriftians profefs and believe; " and also my standing up at giving glory to the Father, to the Son, and to "the Holy Ghoft, and confeffing them to be three perfons, and but one "God.

"And, fecondly, I go to church to praise my God for my creation and "redemption; and for his many deliverances of me from the many dangers of my body, and more especially of my foul, in fending me redemp“tion by the death of his Son, my Saviour; and for the conftant afsistance of his holy spirit: a part of which praise I perform frequently in "the Pfalms, which are daily read in the public congregation.

And, thirdly, I go to church publicly to confefs and bewail my fins, "and to beg pardon for them, for his merits who died to reconcile me and "all mankind unto God, who is both his and my father; and, as for the "words in which I beg this mercy, they be the Letany and Collects of "the Church, compofed by thofe learned and devout men, whom you and "I have trufted to tell us which is and which is not the written word of God; and trufted also to tranflate thofe fcriptures into English. And, in "thefe Collects, you may note, that I pray abfolutely for pardon of sin, "and for grace to believe and ferve God: But I pray for health, and peace, "and plenty, conditionally; even fo far as may tend to his glory, and the good of my foul, and not further. And this confeffing my fins, and "begging mercy and pardon for them, I do in my adoring my God, and "by the humble posture of kneeling on my knees before him: And, in "this manner, and by reverend fitting to hear fome chofen parts of God's "word read in the public affembly, I fpend one hour of the Lord's day every forenoon, and half fo much time every evening. And fince this "uniform and devout cuftom of joyning together in public confeffion, and

"praise

"praife, and adoration of God, and in one manner, hath been neglected; "the power of Chriftianity and humble piety is fo much decayed, that it ought not to be thought on but with forrow and lamentation; and I "think, especially by the Nonconformifts."

The reasons which he has affigned for his uninterrupted attention to the discharge of another duty will afford fatisfaction to every candid reader. "Now for preaching, I praise God, I understand my duty both to him and

my neighbour the better, by hearing of fermons. And though I be de"fective in the performance of both (for which I befeech Almighty God to pardon me), yet I had been a much worfe Chriftian, if I had not frequented the bleffed ordinance of preaching; which has convinced me of my many sins past, and begot fuch terrors of conscience, as have begot in "me holy refolutions. This benefit, and many other like benefits, I and "other Christians have had by preaching: And God forbid that we should

ever use it fo, or fo provoke him by our other fins as to withdraw this "bleffed ordinance from us, or turn it into a curse, by preaching herefie and "fchifm; which too many have done in the late time of rebellion, and indeed now do in many conventicles; and their auditors think fuch preaching is ferving God, when God knows it is contrary." Such were the rational

grounds, on which he founded his faith and practice.

No excufe is pleaded for again noticing the opportunities of improvement, which he experienced from his appropriated intimacy with the most eminent divines of the Church of England. Genuine friendship exists but among the virtuous: A friend is emphatically ftyled "the medicine of life;" the fovereign remedy that foftens the pangs of forrow, and alleviates the anguish of the heart. We cannot therefore fufficiently felicitate the condition of Ifaac Walton, who imbibed the very fpirit of friendship; and that with men renowned for their wisdom and learning; for the fanctity of their manners, and the unfullied purity of their lives. "If," to ufe the words of one of his biographers, 66 we can entertain a doubt that Walton "was one of the happiest of men, we fhew ourselves ignorant of the nature "of that felicity; to which it is poffible even in this life for virtuous and good men, with the bleffing of God, to arrive'."

"Biographical Dictionary." Ed. 1784.

The