W.C. Stewart, who was " we "?

[Condor]

Just reading the Practical Angler for the umteenth time.  I have the 1877 version and I love it for what it was and for it's value today, but it just crossed my mind [ in fact it's been puzzling me for years ] ,   all through the text he refers to "we".   i.e.,  "We have it from high authority"  or "We think it a duty " or " We have never heard of".      I never considered the book to be a collective effort,  so who is [or was] "we" ?

[Fishtales]

I would have thought it would be the collective 'we' as in anglers or it was the way they were writing at that time. He probably thought that using the 'I', as in myself, was bad grammar

[scotgillespie]

Yip, its just an affectation picked up from royal parlance to give the view he was expressing more gravitas. In other words, the Queen uses "we" so we should too.

The royal "we" though effectively means on behalf of me as king, and on behalf of God whom I represent. So in this instance WCS was saying "neither myself or God..." ;-) This connotation is controversial these days so you will never hear it said by the sitting monarch.

[Condor]

Thanks for that, I like the Royal "we" option.  Kinda adds a bit of spice to his persona,  and maybe it's a hint as to the status level he knew he would reach after his death.  I like W.C. Stewart.