2»<« S. VII. BlAB. 19. '69.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



233 



7. Professor Masson (p. 19.) thinks it 'possible 

 Jno. Milton the elder was coeval with Shakspeare, 

 and born about 1562 or 1563, Shakspeare being 

 born in 1564. According to ray view, Jno. Milton 

 the elder must have been born in the beginning 

 of 1578 or end of 1577, and at the time of his 

 death in 1647 would be sixty-nine years of age, 

 but according to Professor Masson eighty-three. 



8. Professor Masson (p. 1.) observes that Jno. 

 Milton was in practice as a scrivener at least as 

 early as 1603. It appears now he was admitted 

 in 1599, and must have begun practice and mar- 

 ried soon after. 



9. It is unlikely that, as has been alleged, Jno. 

 Milton the elder was at College, as he would be 

 apprenticed at an early age, but the liberal edu- 

 cation he had might have been obtained in a 

 school at Oxford, the nearest town to Stanton St. 

 John's being 4^ miles S. W., and which is now 

 its post town. 



10. It is possible, but unlikely, that a difference 

 on account of religion may have taken place be- 

 tween Richard and Jno. Milton, when the latter 

 was a boy, but it is much more likely that he was 

 apprenticed by Richard to Colbron ; that in Lon- 

 don John conformed, and found conformity es- 

 sential for his practice on his admission in 1599, 

 and thus differences may have arisen. Richard 

 Milton was alive after his son began practice as 

 a scrivener. 



11. The connexion with Colbron, the issue of 

 Henry and Richard Milton and their descent, are 

 worthy investigation, and the records of Oxford, 

 Stanton St. John's, and the surrounding districts 

 are worth investigation. 



As I am still prosecuting the inquiry, I hope to 

 be able at an early period to continue the subject. 



I annex the pedigree of Milton as it now 

 stands : — 



Hy. Milton, of Stantoii= Agnes, died 1561. 

 St. John's, died 15S9. I . 



[Elizabeth=Richard Milton, Isabel Rowland Milton, 

 Haughton, I of Stanton St. Milton. [Qy. of Beckley, 

 widow ot John's, lived lived in 1599.] 



Jno. Jef-I in 1601. 

 frey.] I 



Alice 

 Milton. 



Sarah [Brad- =John Milton, Cit. and 

 «haw], died I Scrivener [born 1578], 

 3 Apr. 1637. died March, 1646-7. 



[Mr. Milton.] 



John Milton, 

 born 9 Dec. 1608. 



Sir Christopher 

 Milton. 



Hyde Clarke. 



[VVe were not aware, when we promised to insert this 

 article, that it had been communicated to any other 

 journal. —Ed. "N. & Q."] 



DRTDEN. 



In Robert Bell's edition of the Works of John 



Dryden, vol. ii. p. 34, we find the following words : 



" Religio Laici i or, a Lawman's Faith. This was the 



least popular of Dryden's poems. It appeared in No- 

 vember, 1682. Mai one says that it was not reprinted in 

 Dryden's lifetime, but Scott speaks of a second edition 

 published in 1683, a copy of which he saw in Mr. Heber's 

 library. It is certain, however, that the poem was coldly 

 received, and, considering the very different tenets after- 

 wards espoused by the writer, it may be presumed that 

 he was not very anxious to revive it." 



Had Mr. Bell been able to examine the " second 

 edition " of the Religio Laid, I think he would 

 have formed a different opinion. I know a copy 

 was not at hand; for, till very lately, one Was not 

 to be found in the British Museum. 



The following is the full title of the second 

 edition : — 



" Rtligio Laid ; or, a Layman's Faith. A Poem Writ- 

 ten by Mr. Dryden. Onari res ipsa negat; contenta 

 doceri. London, printed for Jacob Tonson, at the Judges- 

 HeaB, in Chancery Lane, near Fleet Street : 1683," 4to . 

 twenty-eight pages. 



This edition contains three complimentary 

 poems ; one from Roscomon, [54 lines] ; one by 

 Tho. Creech, [29 lines] ; and one Anonymous, [57 

 lines]. From each of these poems I subjoin ex- 

 tracts : — 

 " Great King of verse, that dost instruct and please, 



As Orpheus softened the rude savages ; 



And gently freest us from a double care, 



The Bold Socinian, and the Papal chair ; 



That Judgment is correct, thy Fancy young, 



Thy numbers, as thy generous faith, are strong ; 



Whilst through dark Prejudice they force their way. 



Our souls shake off the Night and view the day. 



We live secure from mad Enthusiasts' Rage, 



And fond tradition now grow blind with age. 



Let factious and ambitious souls repine 



Thy reason's strong, and generous thy desigr 



And always to do well is oneli/ thine. 



While mighty Lewis finds the Pope too great, 

 And dreads the yoke of his imposing seat. 

 Our sects a more Tyrannic Power assume, 

 And would for Scorpions change the rods of Rome. 

 That church detain'd the Legacy Divine ; 

 Fanatics cast the Pearls of Heaven to Swine ; 

 What then have honest thinking men to doe, 

 But chuse a mean.between th' Usurping two ? " 



Tho. Creech. 



Certainly, if we are to judge by this, Dryden's 

 work was not " coldly received." Again — 

 " To what Stupidity are Zealots grown 



Whose inhumanity profusely shown 



In Damning crouds of Souls, may damn their own ! 

 I'll err at least on the securer side, 



A convert free from Malice and from Pride." 



ROSCOMON. 



Again — 

 " Thou to the distant shore hast safely sail'd. 

 Where the best pilots have so often fail'd. 

 Freely we now may buy the Pearl of Price, 

 The happy land abounds with fragrant Spice, 

 And nothing is forbidden there but vice. 

 Thou best Columbus to the unknown world ! 

 Mountains of doubt that in thy way were hurl'd, 

 Thy generous faith has bravely overcome, 

 And made heaven truly our familiar home." — Anon. 

 It seems to me that Dryden's Religio Laid 





4 



