31. The " Compleat Angler " [Six lines, Quotation.] London, Printed by T. Maxey for Rich. Marriot, in " S. Dun?tans Church-yard Fleet?treet, 1653.

In the Perfect Diurnall, as well as in other broad-sheets, the following advertisement appeared from Monday, May 9, to Monday, May 16, 1653:

"The Compleat Angler or the Contemplative Man's Recreation, being a Di?cour?e of Fish and Fishing, not unworthy the peru?al of mo?t Anglers, of 18 pence price. Written by Iz. Wa. Al?o the known Play of the Spani?h Gip?ee, never till now publi?hed. Both printed for Richard Marriot, to be ?old at his ?hop in St. Dun?tans Church-yard, Fleet Street." Walton could hardly have expected his work to be anonymous when his very distinctive initials appeared so plainly in the advertisement. And even though they are not printed on the title-page of the book, they are signed to the dedication to his most honoured friend, Mr. John Offley of Madeley Manor, and at the end of the address "To the Reader of this Discourse: but e?pecially To the hone?t Angler." The name was added to the title in the fifth or 1676 edition, called The Universal Angler.

Contemplative men did indeed find the work not unworthy their perusal, and Marriot, who seems to have been fortunate in the books he published, alone issued five editions during the life of the author. Between then and now we may count no less than one hundred and thirty different imprints. At Sotheby's, in 1895, a copy of this eighteen-pence book sold for four hundred and fifteen pounds, an earnest of its rarity and of the eagerness with which it is sought.

Concerning the engraved cartouche with the first part of the title, on the title-page, and the six illustrations of fish engraved in the text, the author says "To the Reader of this Discourse": "And let me adde this, that he that likes not the di?cour?e ?hould like the pictures of the Trout and other fi?h, which I may commend, becau?e they concern not my?elf." No name is given to show whose work they may be; they are sometimes ascribed to Pierre Lombart, a Frenchman resident in London, and employed by book-publishers to illustrate their books. But on the other hand we must not forget that Vaughan and Faithorne were both making illustrations for books at this time. There is reason for calling attention to the belief, formerly current, that the engravings were done on plates of silver, a notion which, as Thomas Westwood remarks, is sufficiently disproved by their repeated use in no less than five editions of The Compleat Angler, and the same number of Venable's Experienc'd Angler.

Henry Lawes, the musician, and the author of several works, wrote the music to "The Anglers' Song For two Voyces, Treble and Ba??e," which occupies pages 216 and 217. The right-hand page is printed upside down for the greater convenience of the singers, who could thus stand facing one another. Lawes used a similar arrangement in his Select Ayres and Dialogues, published the same year as the Angler.

Octavo.

Collation: A-R3, in eights.