Fit for his prince's and his country's trust;
Pious to God, and to his neighbour just;
A loyal husband to his latest end,

A gracious father and a faithful friend;
Beloved he lived, and died o'ercharged with years,
Fuller of honour than of silver hairs.

And, to sum up his virtues, this was he

Who was what all we should, but cannot be.

To this it may be added, that in sundry parts of his writings, and even in his poems, the evidences of piety in the author are discernible among them is a paraphrase on that noble and sublime hymn, the eighth Psalm. And in the poem entitled Stanzes Irreguliers, are the following lines:

Dear Solitude! the soul's best friend,

That man acquainted with himself dost make,
And all his Maker's wonders to intend;
With thee I here converse at will,

And would be glad to do so still,

For it is thou alone that keep'st the soul awake.

And lastly, in the present work, he, in the person of Piscator, thus utters his own sentiment of a practice, which few that love fishing and have not a sense of decorum, not to say of religion, would in these days of licence forbear: "A worm is so sure a bait at all times that, excepting in a flood, I would I had laid a thousand pounds that I did not kill fish, more or less, with it, winter or summer, every day in the year; those days always excepted that upon a more serious account always ought so to be:"* whence it is but just to infer, that the delight he took in fishing was never a temptation with him to profane the sabbath.

The inconsistencies above pointed out, we leave the perusers of his various writings to reconcile; with this remark, that he must have possessed a mind well stored with ideas and habituated to reflections, and, in many respects, have been an amiable man, whom Walton could choose for his friend, and adopt for his son.

Chap. xi. Part ii.

J. H.

A CONFERENCE BETWIXT AN ANGLER, A HUNTER, AND A FALCONER; EACH COMMENDING HIS RECREATION.

PISCATOR, VENATOR, AUCEPS.
PISCATOR.

OU are well overtaken, Gentlemen; a good morning to you both! I have stretched my legs up Tottenham-hill to overtake you, hoping your business may occasion you towards Ware, whither I am going this fine, fresh, May morning.

VENATOR. Sir, I, for my part, shall almost answer your hopes; for my purpose is to drink my morning's

B

draught at the Thatched-House, in Hoddesden, and I think not to rest till I come thither, where I have appointed a friend or two to meet me but for this gentleman that you see with me, I know not how far he intends his journey; he came so lately into my company, that I have scarce had time to ask him the question.

AUCEPS. Sir, I shall by your favour bear you company as far as Theobald's; and there leave you, for then I turn up to a friend's house who mews a Hawk for me, which I now long to see.

VEN. Sir, we are all so happy as to have a fine, fresh, cool morning, and I hope we shall each be the happier in the other's company. And, Gentlemen, that I may not lose yours, I shall either abate, or amend my pace to enjoy it; knowing that, as the Italians say, "Good company in a journey makes the way to seem shorter."

Auc. It may do so, Sir, with the help of good discourse, which methinks we may promise from you, that both look and speak so cheerfully: and for my part I promise you, as an invitation to it, that I will be as free and open-hearted, as discretion will allow me to be with strangers.

VEN. And, Sir, I promise the like.

PISC. I am right glad to hear your answers; and in confidence you speak the truth, I shall put on a boldness to ask you, Sir, whether business or pleasure caused you to be so early up, and walk so fast? for this other gentleman hath declared he is going to see a Hawk, that a friend mews for him.