unity of Chalkhill and Walton!" It must follow, if we think Walton was the author, that he also wrote the beautiful poems in The Complete Angler signed by the name of Jo. Chalkhill (see on the subject of this book Notes and Queries, 4th S. IV., p. 93, 5th S. III., p. 365, and 8th S. XII., pp. 441, 516). CHAPTER X WALTON'S DEATH "ARCESSITUS AB ANGELIS " "Last scene of all that ends this strange, eventful history." "Wouldst see December smile? Wouldst see nests of new roses grow In a bed of reverend snow?" RICHARD CRASHAW. "In the midst of Death we are in Life.”1 "He was a man among the few Sincere on virtue's side; And all his strength from Scripture drew, To hourly use applied. His joys be mine each reader cries, They shall be yours, my verse replies, W. COOPER. WE have seen how Walton has described the passing of Donne, Wotton, Herbert Hooker and Sanderson; we now have to record his own death. We know no particulars about it; we only know The Eagle Lectern in Lambeth Palace Chapel bears this motto (see Archbishop Benson's Life, by his son, Vol. II., p. 394.) that he died on the 15th of December 1683, at the time of the great frost in that year, at his son-inlaw's house at Salisbury.1 George Dawson said, "that for his own part he would rather have written on his tomb, 'He was a good fellow, bless him,' than, 'Of your charity pray for the soul of George Dawson, deceased.' We don't know what Walton would have wished written on his tombstone, but we may well think that up to the last day of his life he possessed "all that should accompany old age, as honour, love, obedience, troops of friends." At peace with God, at peace with man, life's work well done, and happy in that no shadow of doubt ever probably disturbed the serenity of his faith, we may suppose his death was serene and bright And calm as is a Lapland night." We need not apply to his deathbed any such phrase as "unique hopefulness," for most probably he could have said with St Paul that he had "the desire to depart and be with Christ." No mere "minimum of salvation" could be his! We can well suppose he could have said, as 1 The great frost began on the 15th of December, and lasted over eight weeks, till the 4th of February. Cotton refers to the state of the River Dove, and the fish in it thus: "And doubtless there was great mortality of trout and grayling of great quality." He, however, never mentions, as we might have expected he would, that Walton died during the frost. As to a sermon preached on the subject of the frost (London, 1684), see Notes and Queries for August 1902. Christopher North," said of him John Wilson, self: 66 "It has pleased Heaven to crown my life with such a load of happiness, that ofttimes my very soul is faint with bearing up the blessed burden." In fancy we can imagine Walton "babbling of green fields"; and thanking God for long and happy days, for friends made and kept, for learning won and knowledge gained; but above all for the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, and for the hope of glory. Walton was buried amidst some of the virtuous and the greatly wise, and lies under a marble slab in Prior Silkstead's Chapel in Winchester Cathedral. "In the great minster transept, Where lights like glories fall, And the organ rings, and the sweet choir sings, Along the emblazoned wall." DR ALEXANDER. |