Izaak Walton

Izaak Walton – Life, Writings, and Enduring Quotes

Explore the life of Izaak Walton (c. 1593–1683), English writer, angler and biographer, best known for The Compleat Angler, his devotional style, his biographies of Donne, Herbert, Wotton, and a selection of his most-loved quotations.

Introduction

Izaak Walton is a singular figure in English literature: lover of nature, contemplative writer, biographer, and the author of The Compleat Angler (1653). Over centuries, readers have cherished him less for flamboyant style than for gentle wisdom, devotional reflection, and his celebration of simple pleasures—especially fishing. His life and works bridge faith, friendship, and nature.

Early Life and Background

Walton was born in Stafford, England, around 1593 (he was baptized on 21 September 1593).

As a youth, Walton likely received modest local schooling in Staffordshire before, in his teens, moving to London to enter an apprenticeship as a linen draper.

In London he became involved in church life (St Dunstan’s, in Cornhill) and made connections with clerics and literati, including the poet-priest John Donne.

Literary Career & Major Works

The Compleat Angler

Walton’s most enduring work is The Compleat Angler; or, the Contemplative Man’s Recreation, first published in 1653. Charles Cotton).

Although ostensibly a treatise on fishing, The Compleat Angler is as much a spiritual, moral, and conversational work as a technical manual. Walton weaves in reflections on nature, friendship, patience, and the contemplative life.

Walton did not claim to be a master of all fishing arts; for example, some of the fly-fishing instructions were contributed by others (such as Thomas Barker), a sign of Walton’s humility.

Walton’s Lives (Biographies)

Walton’s love of friendship and admiration for morally and spiritually notable men led him into life-writing. His biographical works, often called Walton’s Lives, include:

• The Life of John Donne (1640)

• The Life of Sir Henry Wotton (first published 1651)

• The Life of Richard Hooker (1665)

• The Life of Mr. George Herbert (1670)

• The Life of Bishop Robert Sanderson (1678)

These works reflect Walton’s gentle piety, his relational interest, and his desire to preserve the memory and wisdom of admired men.

Themes & Style

Walton’s writing is marked by:

• Simplicity and humility: His voice is unpretentious, conversational, devotional.

• Pastoral & contemplative tone: He encourages quiet observation, reflection, patience.

• Friendship and virtue: He values moral character, spiritual discipline, and the company of good men.

• Nature as mirror: Natural scenes, rivers, fish, landscapes are settings for moral and spiritual reflection.

• Revision over time: He saw writing as a lifelong process, refining his works across editions.

Later Life & Legacy

After the English Civil War, as a Royalist, Walton retired early from much of his commercial activity and spent much of his time in literary, spiritual, and angling companionship.

Walton acquired land in Shallowford, Staffordshire, where he lived on a country farm by a river—allowing him direct access to nature and fishing.

During the Restoration era, he enjoyed patronage and friendship with ecclesiastical figures. He spent his final years in Winchester (often sheltered in the bishop’s palace) and died in his daughter’s home in Winchester on 15 December 1683 (some records say 25 December).

He was buried in Winchester Cathedral.

In his will, he left his Shallowford property for the benefit of the poor of Stafford. The cottage there is now preserved as Walton Museum.

His works and persona have inspired subsequent generations of anglers, writers, and lovers of nature. He is commemorated in place names, and even the Izaak Walton League (an American conservation organization founded in 1922) takes his name.

Famous Quotes

Here are some well-known quotations attributed to Izaak Walton (often via The Compleat Angler or his devotional writings):

“God has two dwellings; one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart.”

“I have laid aside business, and gone a-fishing.”

“God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.”

“As no man is born an artist, so no man is born an angler.”

“Good company and good discourse are the very sinews of virtue.”

“The person that loses their conscience has nothing left worth keeping.”

“No man can lose what he never had.”

“Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are made for wise men to contemplate, and for fools to pass by without consideration.”

These lines reflect Walton’s worldview: that modest pleasures, gratitude, virtue, and a quiet heart are spiritually rich.

Lessons & Reflections

1. Value simplicity & humility
   Walton reminds us that greatness of spirit need not be accompanied by grandiosity. The humble, steady voice can endure.

2. Nature as spiritual teacher
   Walton uses rivers, fish, and landscapes not just as scenery but as mirrors for patience, waiting, hope, and reflection.

3. Friendship and moral character matter
   His biographical work was born of personal affection and moral esteem; the company we keep shapes our story.

4. Lifelong craft
   He revised his works over decades, showing that good writing (and good life) is refined over time.

5. Integrating work, worship & leisure
   He “laid aside business” but did not abandon purpose; leisure (fishing) was part of a holistic life, not mere idle escape.