WALTON, Izaak and Charles Cotton.
The Complete Angler: Or, Contemplative Man's Recreation, being a Discourse on Rivers, Fish-ponds, Fish, and Fishing.
"Arguably the best long prose-pastoral in English": The Washbourne edition of Izaak Walton's The Complete Angler; finely bound in full contemporary calf by Henry Sotheran
London: Henry Washbourne, 1842.
$975.00
In Stock
Item Number: RRB-149781
* Custom Clamshell Boxes are hand made by the Harcourt Bindery upon request and take approximately 60 days to complete
The Washbourne edition of this classic of English literature, being a reprint of the 5th Major edition and including a facsimile reproduction of title page of the first edition of 1653. Octavo, bound in full contemporary mottled tree calf by Henry Sotheran with gilt titles and elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, triple gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and gilt-scrolled inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, illustrated with 15 copper-engraved plates and in-text woodcuts. In near fine condition. A very nice example of this classic work.
"Breathes the very spirit of innocence, purity, and simplicity of heart . . . it would sweeten a man's temper at any time to read it" (Charles Lamb). First published in 1653, this literary and nature classic was created by a Londoner with a passion for rustic life. As satisfying a primer on fishing as any angler could wish, it celebrates the art and spirit of fishing with verse, song and folklore, moral reflections, and timeless wisdom. Cast in the form of a dialogue between the veteran angler Piscator and his pupil Viator, it both informs and delights with an ingenious exploration of fishing's subtle intricacies and the pleasures of the natural world. Though intended in part as a practical guide for fishermen, the lasting influence of The Compleat Angler stems from its qualities as a work of literature: it is arguably the best long prose-pastoral in English.
The Complete Angler: Or, Contemplative Man's Recreation, being a Discourse on Rivers, Fish-ponds, Fish, and Fishing.
$975.00
In Stock
