The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Compleat Angler, by Izaak Walton

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Title: The Compleat Angler
Facsimile of the First Edition

Author: Izaak Walton

Editor: Richard LeGallienne

Release Date: November 23, 2007 [EBook #9198]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COMPLEAT ANGLER ***

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[Spelling, punctuation and capitalization are unchanged except as noted
at the end of the text.

Sidenotes are shown inline in [brackets]. The random use of asterisks
is as in the original. The 1653 text used brackets to supplement
marginal quotation marks. These have been replaced by conventional
"quotation marks". A handful of superscripts (w^{th}) have been
"unpacked" to the complete word; titles such as "M^r." are written
inline (Mr.).]

THE COMPLETE ANGLER;

OR,

_THE CONTEMPLATIVE MAN'S RECREATION._

By ISAAK WALTON.

Being a

Facsimile Reprint of the First Edition
published in 1653. With a Preface by

_RICHARD LE GALLIENNE._

_LONDON:_
ELLIOT STOCK.
_NEW YORK:_
DODD, MEAD & COMPANY.
1897

_PREFACE._

_The "first edition" has been a favourite theme for the scorn of those
who love it not. "The first edition--and the worst!" gibes a modern
poet, and many are the true lovers of literature entirely insensitive
to the accessory, historical or sentimental, associations of books. The
present writer possesses a copy of one of Walton's Lives, that of
Bishop Sanderson, with the author's donatory inscription to a friend
upon the title-page. To keep this in his little library he has
undergone willingly many privations, cheerfully faced hunger and cold
rather than let it pass from his hand; yet, how often when,
tremulously, he has unveiled this treasure to his visitors, how often
has it been examined with undilating eyes, and cold, unenvious hearts!
Yet so he must confess himself to have looked upon a friend's sup