There exists a very rare and remarkable work, "_A Book of Angling or
Fishing, wherein is shewed by conference with Scriptures, the agreement
between the Fisherman, Fishes, and Fishing of both natures, spirituall
and temporall, by Samuel Gardner, Doctor of Divinitie._"--"I will make
you fishers of men."--Matt. IV. 19. London, printed for Thomas Pinfoot,
1606.
Walton tells the honest angler that the writing of his book was the
recreation of a recreation; his motto on the title page of his book
was, "Simon Peter said let us go a fishing, and they said we also will
go with thee"--John XXI. 3. This passage is not in all the editions of
the _Complete Angler_, but was engraven on the title page of the first
edition, printed in 1653.
Advertisement of Walton's angler, 1653. There is published a book of
eighteenpence price, called "_The Compleat Angler, or Contemplative
Man's Recreation, being a Discourse of Fish and Fishing, not unworthy
the perusal._"
These works may now be considered as great bibliomaniacal curiosities.