Robert Boyle, Izaak Walton, and the Art of Angling

Abstract

Robert Boyle's meditative narrative on angling and Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler consider in their responses to an unsettled interregnum society the values of the contemplative and the active life. Walton's well-known treatise on the sport of fishing celebrates the innocent, carefree recreation found amidst the appealing rural ambience of the river banks, “the quietest and fittest place for contemplation.” For him the camaraderie of kindred spirits and the hours enjoyed away from the consuming demands of law and politics provide the prudent, peaceable angler a means of contrasting rather than engaging the outside world. For Boyle the river encourages another means of reflection, a “way of thinking” apparent in the distinctly different discourse and demeanor of his anglers. More so than Walton's congenial anglers, they reflect upon the realities beyond the world of angling. Though each author shares a contemporary understanding of civility and appreciates the value of competency, the premium Boyle places upon conversation as well as reflective monologue is conducive to both contemplation and the prospect of action. Fundamental to his moral and spiritual reflections is Boyle's awareness of the humanistic relationship between wisdom and duty.