value, was first published in 1655, in folio. A conversation, seasoned with much pleasantness, and innocent jocularity, is said to have passed between the author and his ever cheerful and friendly acquaintance, Isaac Walton, upon the general character of this work. The latter having paid him a visit, it was asked by Fuller, who knew how intimate he was with several of the bishops and ancient clergy, first, What he thought of the History himself, and, then, what reception it had met with among them. Walton answered, that he thought " it should be acceptable to all tempers; because there were shades in it for the warm, and sun-shine for those of a cold constitution; that with youthful readers the facetious parts would be profitable to make the serious more palatable; while some reverend old readers might fancy themselves in his History of the Church, as in a flower garden, or one full of evergreens."—" And why not," said Fuller, "the Church History so decked as well as the Church itself at a most holy season, or the tabernacle of old at the Feast of Boughs ?". "That was but for a season," said Walton ; "in your Feast of Boughs, they may conceive, we are so over-shadowed throughout, that the parson is more seen than his congregation, and this sometimes invisible to its old acquaintance, who may wander in the search, till they are lost in the labyrinth." "Oh!" says Fuller, the very Children of our Israel may find their way out of this wilderness.” turned Walton, 66 "True," re as indeed they have here such a Moses to conduct them"." In 1662, Anne, his wife, died, and was buried in our Lady's Chapel, in the Cathedral of Worcester, in which, fixed in the north wall, is a sculptured slab monument, of white marble, with the following inscription, written by her affectionate husband. HERE EXTERRIS M. S. LYETH BURIED so much as could dye of ANNE, the Wife of IZAAK WALTON; who was a Woman of remarkable Prudence, her great, and general Knowledge the 17th of April, 1662, Aged 52. Study to be like her. 6 The relation of this witty confabulation, as the editors of the Biographia Britannica are pleased to term it, was obtained from a Collection of diverting Sayings, Stories, Characters, &c., in verse and prose, made about the year 1686, by Charles Cotton, Esq., formerly, in manuscript, in the library of the Earl of Halifax.' Colloquially amusing as it may seem Engraved from a Fac Simile of MRS WALTON'S TOMB STONE The Original Frawing in the Possession of MT. Gosden, Proof His next work was the Life of Mr. Richard Hooker," which first appeared in 1665. It was composed at the earnest request of Dr. Sheldon, then bishop of London; and with the express purpose of correcting some errors committed by Dr. Gauden, from mere inadvertency and haste, in his account of that immortal man,' as he has been emphatically styled, who spoke no language but that of truth dictated by conscience.' Gauden seems to have been extremely deficient in his information, and, dying soon afterwards, had no opportunity of revising and amending his very imperfect and inaccurate memoir. This was followed in 1670, by the Life of Mr. George Herbert, usually called the Divine Herbert;' and in 1678, he concluded his biographical labours with the the Life of Dr. Robert Sanderson. Previous to to many, it is remarkable for nothing but its singularity, which consists in the starting of a metaphor, and the hunting it down.' 7 Sir John Hawkins inadvertently observes, that Hooker was personally known to his biographer. It seems to have escaped his recollection, that Hooker died in 1600, and Walton, being born in 1593, was then only seven years of age.-ED. 8 Walton erroneously says, that Bishop Sanderson was born at Rotherham, in the county of York.' The parish register of Sheffield records his baptism in the church of that town, Sept. 20, 1587;' and in Hopkinson's MSS., under Sanderson, of Gilthwait, his birth is thus noticed-" Robert, |