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WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES,

823W17
Och

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

ROBERT OFFLEY ASHBURTON

EARL OF CREWE

OF MADELEY MANOR, IN THE COUNTY OF

STAFFORD, THIS NEW EDITION OF

THE COMPLEAT ANGLER IS

HUMBLY DEDICATED

Lord of the Madeley peace, the quiet grass,
The lilied pond, and muffled sleepy mill;
Lord of each legendary fish that swims
Deep down and swift beneath that emerald glass ;
While, soft as shadows, round its grassy rims
The patient anglers move from east to west,
Patient at morn, at evening patient still-
-Peace, if not fish, was theirs, and peace is best:
To you, John Offley's far-descended son,
What to your grandsire—past computing “great”-
Our Walton gave is here re-dedicate;
Heirloom of ancient friendship friendly still
In this old book, though all the talk be done.

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EDITORIAL NOTE

THE text of this edition is a reprint of the fifth (the last to receive Walton's own revision), with which it has been carefully collated. The spelling has been modernised. For his introduction the Editor is indebted to the usual authorities, particularly to Sir Harris Nicolas. In compiling the Notes he has followed the example of his forerunners, and attempted little beyond a selection from the Notes of previous editors, whose work is acknowledged by their initials; though here and there, with Mr. New's aid, he has been able to elucidate a topographical allusion. "N" stands for Sir Harris Nicolas, "E "for Sir Henry Ellis, "H" for Sir John Hawkins, "M" for Major, and "B" for Dr. Bethune, the American editor of Walton, who has brought much out-of-the-way reading to the illustration of Walton, though he is apt occasionally to be careless, and, what is worse, facetious, and apt, too, to append "Am. Ed." to a note which is mainly a précis of the Notes of previous editions.

To Mr. R. H. Shepherd's Waltoniana the Editor is indebted for one or two items in the Appendix, and to Mr. R. B. Marston, the owner of the copyright, for permission to reprint Westwood's Bibliography, as also for kindly aid in bringing it up to date.

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