caused his death. He died on the 10th of November, in the most placid and quiet manner, and was buried in the chancel of St. Giles's, Cripplegate, near the grave of his father. A monument was raised to his memory in Westminster Abbey; but he left one behind him in his works far more durable than any that human art could erect; and by no one can the line of Horace be more properly or justly claimed; "Exegi monumentum ære perennius." father, who had been active in his loyalty, was exposed to sequestration, Milton sheltered and protected both him and his family until the storm of the opposite party had abated. In 1645, he published a collection of Latin and English Poems, in which the “Allegro" and "Penseroso," were included. Shortly after the execution of Charles I. Cromwell appointed him Latin Secretary to himself and parliament. The loss of his wife, which took place soon after his appointment, was followed by another great affliction-the loss of sight. Three daughters were then living, the two elder of whom are said to have been very serviceable to him in his studies: for having been instructed to pronounce not only the modern, but also the Latin, Greek, and He-tary occupations. His health havbrew languages, they read in their respective originals, whatever authors he wanted to consult, though they understood none but their mother tongue. In the year 1671, four years after the publication of "Paradise Lost," he produced his "Paradise Regained," and "Sampson Agonistes." Some years after he printed his "Familiar Epistles," in Latin, to which, in order to form a volume, he added some Latin exercises. Milton was 61 years of age when he commenced his "Paradise Lost." Towards the close of his life he was greatly troubled with the gout, which in the year 1674 Milton when young was exceed ingly handsome. In his habits he was strict, and in his diet particularly abstemious; he scrupulously avoided spirituous liquors, being convinced of their destructive tendency to individuals of seden ing suffered by night studies in his youth, he was accustomed to retire early (seldom later than nine) to bed; and rose generally at five in summer and six in winter. His deportment was erect, open, and affable; his conversation easy, cheerful, and instructive; his wit was always ready at command, facetious, grave, or satirical as the subject required. His judgment was just, his apprehension quick, and his memory retentive. On his "Paradise Lost" too much praise cannot be bestowed, and as Dr. Johnson justly observes, the purpose of the poem was the most use ul and arduous that could be chosen "to vindicate the works of God to man. His subject is the of the servants at his father's fate of worlds, the revolution of gate, standing round a fortuneHeaven and Earth; rebellion a- teller, who pretended, at least, to gainst the supreme King, raised be deaf and dumb, and, for a small by the highest order of created gratification, wrote on the bottom beings; the overthrow of their host and the punishment of their enemies, the creation of a new race of reasonable creatures; their original happiness and innocence; their forfeiture of immortality, and their restoration to hope and peace. Here is a full display of the united force of study and genius, of a greater accumulation of materials, with judgment to direct, and fancy to combine them. His large works were performed under discountenance, and in blindness; but difficulties vanish at his touch: he was born for whatever is arduous, and his work is not the greatest of heroic poems only because it is not the first." of a trencher, with a bit of chalk, answers to such questions as the men and maids put to him, by the same method. As Sir William rode by, the conjurer made signs that he was inclined to tell his fortune as well as the rest, and in good humour he would have complied, but not readily finding a question to ask, the conjurer took up the trencher, and writing upon it, gave it back with these words very legible, "Beware of a white horse!" Sir William smiled at the absurdity of the man, and thought no more of it, for several years. But in 1690, being on his travels in Italy, and accidentally at Venice, as he was one day passGreat as is this praise which ing through St. Mark's Place in is bestowed by the elegant critic his calash, he observed a more above-mentioned, it does not go than ordinary crowd at one corner beyond the just bounds of truth of it. He desired the driver to and justice. MILTON with SHAK- stop, and they found it was occaSPEARE will descend to ages yet sioned by a mountebank, who also to come, as stars who have bright-pretended to tell fortunes; con ened and adorned the literature of veying his several predictions to their country. the people by means of a long tube of tin, which he lengthened or curtailed, at pleasure, as occasion required. Among others, Sir William Wyndham held up a piece of money: upon which the soothsayer immediately directed CURIOUS ACCOUNT OF SIR WILLIAM WYNDHAM, Sir William Wyndham, when a young man, had been out one day at a stag hunt. In returning to his carriage, and said to him from the sport, he found several very distinctly in Italian,—“Sig consequence of the accession of the house of Brunswick; and just as him, and to almost every one that came to see him in his confinement; and though not superstitious, he spoke of it always as a prophecy fully accomplished.But here he was mistaken (if there was any thing prophetic in it) for many years after, being out a hunting, he had the misfortune to be thrown from his saddle, in leaping a ditch, by which accident he broke his neck, and what was the more extraordinary, he rode upon a "white horse" when the accident happened! noir Inglise, cavate ill blanco cavillo;" which in English, is, "Mr. Englishman beware of a Sir William's chariot was passing white horse." Sir William im-through to carry him to prison, mediately recollected what had the painter was at work adding been before told him, and took it the "white horse," the arms of for granted that the British for- the Electorate of Hanover.. It tune-teller, had made his way over struck Sir William forcibly: he to the continent, where he had immediately recollected the two found his speech, and was curious singular predictions, and mentito know the truth of it. How- oned them to the Lieutenant of the ever, upon enquiry, he was assur-Tower, then in the chariot with ed that the present fellow had never been out of Italy; nor did he understand any other language than his mother tongue. Sir William was surprised, and mentioned so whimsical a circumstance to several persons, but in a short time, this also went out of his head, like the former prediction of the same kind. We need inform few of our readers of the share which Sir William Wyndham had in the transactions of government during the last four years of Queen Anne; in which a design to restore the son of James II. tothat throne which his father had so justly forfeited, was undoubtedly concerted, and, on King George's arrival, punished, by forcing into banishment, or putting in prison all the persons supposed to have entered into the combination. Among the latter of these was Sir Wm. Wyndham, who, in the year 1715, was committed to the Tower. Over the river gate were the arms of Great Britain, in which there was now some alteration to be made, in Very devotedly your's, Logic Lane, Oxford, TRUTH AND FICTION. Many a time it has lain heavy on me, and I felt myself sinking, sinking, sinking, like one that struggled with the water; but then my sweet babe would come, with his cherub face all bright tively refused to move a step till the sun was below the water. He has a long way to go yet,' she said; and, taking up a handful of dust, she scattered it slowly into the air, towards the evening, at the same time muttering, or rather chaunting, 'Speed! Speed! Speed!' till by degrees her memory pieced out the words of a familiar song, which she poured forth in that with glory, just like those skies where the sun is setting, and his little hand was stronger than my strength, for it would draw me back again when I was up to my breast in fire. But you have no child to save you, therefore look that your heart be strong, you had best-no child-no child, old man; for I deny you-I cast you off-go-leave this earth-it is mine.-Go-do you hear?-you wild manner so peculiar to in Where on sands of gold the pearl is That shine with a fairer light than they, wave A voice invites to the Mermaid's cave; She might still have gone on thus, for Ellis was too much shocked to interrupt her; but the wild mood had exhausted itself; her eye was caught by the sun, rest-Like the rainbow's arch o'er the evening spread; ing with his broad red disk on the And each drop, which falls from that ocean, and her thoughts returned head, brilliant bow, to the hunger-pains which inces-Turns to a gem of the same below. sently knawed her, though they The sun had sunk below the had been unfelt, or at least un-horizon, as the last word died on noticed, during the violence of the maniac's lips; Ellis having her passion. lighted the beacon, they sate down exclaimed, to their humble supper. Both for a time were silent-the daughter from the caprice of insanity-the father because he was stunned and stupified by her appearance, coupled as it was with past recol On a sudden she ish the sun would set, that we might go to supper.' The old man endeavoured to soothe the maniac, and, taking her by the hand, would have gently forced her into the light-house; but it was all to no purpose; this sin-lections. Remorse was busy with gular idea had got possession of him, though it was remorse withher, though it is not easy to say out repentance; and if he wished from what cause, and she posi- the past undone, it was more with reference to his own pain than the on him for several minutes with sufferings of his daughter. Lucy, however, was in a state that made all these things a matter of indifference to her, and, as the evening darkened, her madness took a wilder turn. • Do you hear, old man ?-Ho! Ho! The spirit of the winds is abroad. Do you hear what a coil he keeps up yonder, howling into the ear of old Ocean, and calling on him to wake?-Do you see the billows too, how lazily they lift up their heads, as if loath to leave their he out moving a muscle, to the sore annoyance of the old man, whose blood was already in a ferment; swallowed the thin sour beer at long draughts, clutched the handle of his knife more firmly, and tried to force his attention from her-but all to no purpose. Her protracted gaze became at last intolerable, and he exclaimed, half rising from his seat, what in the devil's name do you stare at me for? Can you find nothing else to fix your eyes on but my face?' 'I was counting how long you had to live,' said the maniac calmly; you have only a few hours, and then I shall be lady of this castle, and Richard will come home to me, and bring our little Lucy with him, and we shall be so happy!-Oh, so happy!' This was too much for the patience of Ellis; he started up slumber? How they toss and tumble, and roar and groan ?-but it's all to no purpose; you'll sing a wilder tune yet, my merry boys, and I'll sing with you, and the curlew shall whistle, and the rain shall patter, and the thunder shall roar, and we'll have a brave music to your dancing, such as the foot of a king never danced to." The face of the old man dark-from his seat, and dashed away ened at this raving; it was making his plate, with a curse on the poor his misery still more miserable, maniac, and the mother who had and if remorse had brought any borne her. Woman! Witch! transient feeling of pity into his Devil! You were made to be my heart, it was quite extinguished torture; but I'll not bear it many when he found that his daughter's hours longer. Either you or me, presence would be a constant vex- and I don't much care which.' ation to him. He looked at her with a countenance of wrath; but something seemed to stifle the expression of his anger for the moment, and he resumed his meal in sullen silence. The change did not escape Lucy; she fixed her elbows on the table, and, resting her head on her hands, gazed He raised his hand to strike, perhaps to kill her; when a deep flash of lightning blazed between them, and the old tower rocked in the wind, as if it were going to tumble about their ears. So tremendous, indeed, was this burst of the storm, that a large mass of overhanging cliff, that the water |