2n'» S. X. Nov. 3. 'GO.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



341 



LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3. 18G0. 



Jvo, 253.— CONTENTS. 



NOTES : — John Milton, 34,1 — The Lorica, or Golden Vest, 

 812 — ShakspeSre Music, lb. — Emma^ Lady Hamilton, 

 343. 



Minor Notes-.— Druse Magic or Table-turning — Levant 

 Notes and Queries — Senile Lactation — The Humanity of 

 Louis XV. — Spirit Hands — A Phonetic Translation, 3 14. 



QUERIES: — Mr. Eeuter and his Telegrams, 340 — College 

 Pots and Maudlen Cups, J6. — The Stationers of the Mid- 

 dle ■ Ages — Dowager Peeresses — Prideaux of Barbadoes 

 and Blake — Mary Queen of Scots — Proffer— Irish Bishops 

 translated to England — Hesiod v. Milton — Porson — 

 English Translations of Cicero — Bibliographical Queries — 

 Surname of " Black " — Dixon of Eamshaw — • Story of a 

 Swiss Lady— Family of Bucknall, M.D. — 'Waterville Ea- 

 mily — Monk Lewis — Miss Hannah Thatcher — Flying 

 Kites — Locke's "Western Rebellion " — Perpetual Mo- 

 tion — The Heir of Line of Lady Catherine Grey, 347. 



QuEEiES WITH AxswEE3:—Lepaux— The Ass with Two 

 Panniers — " Happy as a King " — Duel between Major 

 Glover and Mr. Jackson — Starlings and Rooks — "The 

 Latins call me Poi'cus " — Cowper's " John Gilpin," 350. 



REPLIES : — James I. and the Recusants, 351 — Bishops 

 and their Baronies, 355 — Robert Herrick, the Poet, 356 — 

 Harvest Bell: Gleaner's Bell — Paston Letters — Tromp's 

 Watch— Chancels — The Oxford Act, &c., 356. 



l^tes on Books. 



JOHN MILTON. 

 Milton's biogi'apliers seem curiously enough to 

 have overlooked a document relating to the great 

 poet's father entitled : — 



" Answer of John Milton, scrivener, one of the defen- 

 dants in a suit prosecuted by Sir Tho. Cotton, executor of 

 John Cotton, Esq. deC^, against the s'' John Milton and 

 Thomas Bovver, charging them with having persuaded 

 the s^ John Cotton, then old and iniirm, to accept the 

 sum of 2000/. for a debt of 3600/. due to him from other 

 parties, 13 Apr. 1637." 



Todd says that the elder Milton left London in 

 1632. Masson and others seem to have consi- 

 dered Thomas Bower, mentioned in the indenture 

 of 1623, as a servant to the elder Milton, but this 

 " Answer " conveys decisive information upon 

 both points. In 1637, the scrivener speaks of him 

 as " five years his partner, and not his servant, as 

 alledgedin the s* Bill of complaint," and moreover 

 describes his having " had the shop for near 40 

 years." 



No doubt in 1623, both Thos. Bower and John 

 Hutton were serving their apprenticeship with 

 John Llilton, sen. ; the former becoming, in 1632, 

 his partner, which would solve the difficulty. The 

 answer above alluded to (comprising twenty-one 

 sides) has at foot : — 



" Susteyned 



Jur. xiij die Apr! lis, 

 1637 cor. nob. 



Jon. Agar, 

 Tho. Agar." 



Touching the poet's blindness (about which so 

 much has been written, in the futile hope of fixing 

 what would seem to have been a gradual and in- 

 creasing disorder of the sight) the broadside (2^^* 

 S. X. 144.), which gives this passage : — 



" Milton, that writ two books against the Kings If. 

 and Salmasius his Defence of Kings, struck totally blind, 

 he being not much over 40 years old," 



would appear to have been written by some one 

 who knew but little of Milton, and who seems to 

 have jumped to a hasty conclusion. — Vide "N. & 

 Q." 2"'> S. v. 372. 



Carlyle, too, quotes a passage upon this topic, 

 (but without giving the reference,) under date of 

 Tuesday, 14th Feb. 1653 : — 



" M"" John Milton we all lament to know has fallen 

 blind in the public service, lives now in Birdcage Walk, 

 still doing a little when called upon, bating no jot of heart 

 or hope." 



Who the John Milton, Jun. was, indicted for 

 treason in 1647 (vide Journals of the House of 

 Commons) remains at present a mystery for the 

 future biographer to clear up. 



The entries respecting him run thus : — 



" Die Sabbati, 25 Sept. 1647. Post Meridiem. 



"Resolved, &". that Thomas Carill, Bartholomew 

 West, Richard Romney, Ralphe Hooker, John Milton, 

 Junr., James Studle}', Henry Coltherst, Richard Fortye, 



Mr. William Drake, Brooke, apprentice or servant to 



Mr. Barker of Hellen's, John Hartley, and Daniel Hill, be 

 forthwith indicted of High Treason at the King's Bench .' ^ 

 &c. &c. 



"Die Veneris, 1 Oct. 1647. 



"The L<i' and Commons in Parliament assembled hav- 

 ing put into a way of inquiry and examination the late 

 horrid and violent force clone to both Houses of Parlia- 

 ment upon the 26'i' of July last, to the intent that due and 

 exemplary punishment might be inflicted upon the con- 

 trivers and some of the chief actors thereof according to 

 their demerits, and having received clear proof that the 

 persons following, viz. Thomas Carill, Bartholomew West, 

 Richard Rumney, Ralph Hooker, John Milton, junior^ 

 James Studley,' Henry Coltherst, Rich^ Fortye, W»» 

 Drake, son of Roger Drake of Cheapside, Brook, ap- 

 prentice or servant to Mr. Barker of Helen's, John Hart- 

 ley, and Daniel Hill, were principal actors in that treason 

 and conspiracy, which said persons have since absented 

 themselves from their usual places of abode, and cannot 

 be found to be brought to a present trial," &c. &c. 



I annex a letter which I believe has never be- 

 fore been printed, showing the existence of a John 

 Milton, a prosecutor of Recusants in 1607, not 

 that I would identify him with the poet's family, 

 but to show the fact of persons being contempo- 

 rary, and bearing the same baptismal and sur- 



" After my harty comendacons. Whereas I am enformed 

 that by some speciall prosecucon held for his Ma*y, there 

 be diverse recusants w'^in the west Riddinge of the 

 County of York lately standing owtlawed and extraicted 

 into his Ma**^ court of Kinges Benehe, These are to pray 

 j'o^ to geve warrant unto tlie M'' of the Crowne office for 

 the present makinge forth of speciall writtes against 

 them, to be forthwith delivered to the Bearer hereof ^o/iH 



