opem, imo vero ne Colesius quidem. Ne mireris igitur, Vir humanissime, si pure minus, aut minus polite, loquar, qui vix Latine loqui sciam. Vale. IX. Kal Septembris. 1775, Oct.

XX. Mr. George Vertue to Mr. Charles Christian, concerning Milton's Portrait.

MR. CHRISTIAN,

PRAY inform my Lord Harley that I have (on Thursday last) seen the daughter of Milton the poet. I carried with me two or three different prints of Milton's picture, which she immediately knew to be like her father; and told me her mother-in-law (if living in Cheshire) had two pictures of him, one when he was a school-boy, and the other when he was about twenty. She knows of no other picture of him, because she was several years in Ireland, both before and after his death. She was the youngest of Milton's daughters by his first wife, and was taught to read to her father several languages.

Mr. Addison was desirous to see her once, and desired she would bring with her testimonials of being Milton's daughter, but as soon as she came into the room he told her she needed none, her face having much of the likeness of the pictures he had seen of him."

For my part, I find the features of her face very much like the prints. I shewed her the painting I have to engrave, which she believes not to be her father's picture, it being of a brown complexion, and a black hair, and curled locks, On the contrary, he was of a fair complexion, a little red in his cheeks, and light brown lank hair.

1776, May.

GEORGE VERTUE.

Itaque hercle vereor, ne talem tamque gravem egomet quoque videar in me jure derivasse censuram, qualem jam olim commeruisse dicitur A. Albinus, qui "Res Romanas" Romanus "oratione Græca scriptitavit." Vide sis har c fabellam apud A. Gellium Noct. Attic. lib. XI. cap. 8, perquam eleganter, more suo, narratam.

XXI. The Rev. Dr. Stanhope, Dean of Canterbury, to Mr. Bowyer,

GOOD MR. BOYER,

Lewisham, Jan. 31, 1712.

IT is with very great concern, that I heard of the sad disaster befallen you. You and your family have been in great part the subject not only of my waking, but even of my sleeping, thoughts, from the moment the ill news reached me. You are a person of understanding and religion enough, I persuade myself, thoroughly to believe, that second causes have a wise director, and that none of our calamities are the effect of chance. This thought, I doubt not, you pursue through all its just consequences, such as may work in you a true Christian resignation to God's afflicting providence, and render you contented under your loss, nay even thankful for it, not only on account of the lives which have been saved, but also of the excellent fruits this affliction may, and, I hope, will, produce, by your improvement of it. For surely humbling one's self under the Almighty's hand; such a dread of his power and justice as may increase the fear of offending him; less affection for, and no manner of trust in, the enjoyments of this world; and a more eager desire and endeavour after those in a better state, of which we may rest secure that they cannot be taken from us; are very natural and becoming consequences of so sad and sudden a calamity. You, God be praised, have the comfort of being far from the condition of those wretches, whom the world hath reason to think marked out for vengeance. But each of us, who looks into himself, will find more than enough there, to justify the severest dispensations toward him. Or, if it were not, which yet always will be, so; the best are not above the improvement of their virtues, of which great adversities are an etninent exercise and proof.

The post waits, and I must hasten. My heart bleeds for your poor wife. God sanctify this trouble to you both; and give you the piety and the reward of those saints, who "take joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves, that they have a better and more enduring substance in heaven."

1777, Dec.

I am,

Your sincere friend and servant,
GEO. STANHOPE.

* The total destruction of his printing-office, and all his property, by a salamitous fire, Jan. 30, 1712-13. E.

XXII. Letters of Mr. Turner and Mr. Hughes.

MR. URBAN,

YOU receive herewith six original letters, containing some particulars which I cannot but think curious. If they appear to you in the same light, you will print them in your next. Yours, &c.

EUGENIO.

SIR,

LETTER I.

Rev. Mr. Turner to the Rev. Mr. Bonwicke.

St. John's College, Cambridge, Dec. 31, 1706.

MY absence from college has been very prejudicial to my interest; and to regain it, it is absolutely necessary to stay till the election is over, which will be about the latter end of March: if you can supply my place* till that time, I will return; if not, I can send another, (though not upon the same terms that I had.) You are sensible, sir, I believe, that I had never stayed so long with you, or at least had never promised to return, had I not a great respect to your person, as well as your cause:† but if my absence till Ladyday be extremely prejudicial to your interest, I will sacri fice my own to serve yours, and I desire you to believe that there is none in the world that more heartily studies and wishes your good, than your servant,

R. TURNER.

The death of some of our fellows has been strangely foretold by an apparition of one of our fellows that died four or five years ago, and is attended by such notable circumstances as put it past all doubt: but I am in haste, and cannot give you a particular account of it. You will have it, I believe from Mr. Hughes,‡ very shortly; if not, I will give you an account of it in my next.

*Of usher to the school which Mr. B. then kept at Headley, in Surrey. Alluding to his sufferings as a non-juror.

Fellow of Jesus college. See Lett. II.

LETTER II.

Rev. Mr. Hughes to the Rev. Mr. Bonwicke.

DEAR SIR,

Jesus College, Jan. 9, 1706-7.

I CANNOT but return you many thanks for your very kind letter, and assure you that I shall think myself as happy in your keeping up this correspondence, if you think it worth your while, as you can possibly do. I promised Mr. Turner that I would write to you long before this; but this Christmas time has so diverted me, that I was forced to defer it till after the holidays. We have no manner of news stirring at Cambridge that is worth sending you. Dr. Turner, of Greenwick, has lately put in an answer to the Pretended Rights of the Church. I have not read it myself but I heard from a very good judge, that it was no contemptible piece; and that, if it had been in better times, the doctor would have wrote an excellent book. I hear, likewise, that Dr. Potter, author of the Greek Antiquities, and now chaplain to his Grace of Canterbury, [Tenison,] is just publishing an answer to it. I wish to God it was substantially answered (though I must ingenuously confess I do not. much expect it at present;) for the Whig party triumphs upon it at a strange rate, and some do not stick to say that it is unanswerable. Mr. Professor Whiston is chosen to preach Boyle's lectures for this next year. His subject is upon the completion of the prophecies of the Old Testament; a very nice subject, and worthy of a great master; and, indeed, I believe Mr. W. is equal to it in all the parts. I expect great things from him. These are all the scraps that I could pick up to entertain you withal; and, indeed, I should have been obliged to have ended with half a letter, had not an unusual story come seasonably into my relief.

One Mr. Shaw, formerly fellow of St. John's college, and late minister of a college living, within twelve miles of

Vicar of that parish, residentiary of Lincoln, and prebendary of Canterbury. He died 1720.

This remarkable tract, (which occasioned a long controversy, greatly alarmed the clergy, and was ordered by the House of Commons, in 1710, to be burnt in the same flames with Dr. Sacheverell's sermon) was written by Dr. Matthew Tindal. See a note on Letter V.

"A Discourse of Church Government, Oxf. 1707.”

They were afterwards printed under the title of, The Accomplishment of Scripture Prophecies.

Souldern,

Oxford, as he was sitting one night by himself, smoking a pipe, and reading, observed somebody to open the door: he turned back, and saw one Mr. Nailor, a fellow-collegian, an intimate friend, and who had been dead five years, come into the room. The gentleman came in exactly in the same dress and manner that he used at college. Mr. Shaw was something surprised at first: but in a little time recollecting himself, he desired him to sit down: upon which Mr. N. drew a chair, and sat by him; they had a conference of about an hour and a half. The chief of the particulars were these; he told him, "that he was sent to give him warning of his death, which would be in a very short time;" and, if I mistake not, he added, that his death would be sudden. He mentioned, likewise, several others of St. John's, particularly the famous Auchard, who is since dead. Mr. S. asked if he could not give him another visit: he answered no, alleging," that his time allotted was but three days, and that he had others to see who were at a great distance.' Mr. Shaw had a great desire to inquire about his present condition, but was afraid to mention it, not knowing how it would be taken. At last he expressed himself in this manner: "Mr. N. how is it with you in the other world?" he answered with a brisk and cheerful countenance, "very well." Mr. Shaw proceeded and asked, "are there any of our old friends with you?" he replied, "not one." After their discourse was over, he took his leave and went out. Mr. Shaw offered to go with him out of the room; but he beckoned with his hand that he should stay where he was. Mr. Nailor seemed to turn into the next room, and so went off. This Mr. Shaw the next day made his will, the conference had so far affected him; and not long after, being taken with an apoplectic fit while he was reading the divine service, he fell out of the desk, and died immediately after. He was ever looked upon to be a pious man, and a good. scholar; only some object, that he was inclinable to melancholy. He told this story himself to Mr. Groves, fellow of St. John's, and a particular friend of his, and who lay at his house last summer.

Mr. G. upon his return to Cambridge, met with one of his college, who told him that Mr. Auchard was dead, who was particularly mentioned by Mr. Shaw. He kept the business secret, till, hearing of Mr. Shaw's own death, he told the whole story. He is a person far enough from inventing such a story; and he tells it in all companies without any manner of variation. We are mightily divided about it at Cambridge, some heartily embracing it, and others rejecting it as a