Izaak Walton's Lives is a collection of five biographical essays written between 1640 and 1678, focusing on notable English figures, particularly clergymen and poets. The work includes biographies of John Donne, Henry Wotton, Richard Hooker, George Herbert, and Robert Sanderson. Walton, best known for The Compleat Angler, wrote these lives with a blend of historical detail, personal anecdotes, and moral reflection, aiming to present his subjects as models of piety and virtue. His style is engaging and often idealized, making Lives a significant work in early English biography.
Description
Marbled boards with three quarter brown leather, five raised bands, and gilt lettering and illustrations along the spine. Several engraved images throughout. Marbled endpapers. Bumped corners and rubbed edges. Some fading to the boards.
