The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-08-08 00:00:00

ST.4TE PAPER OFFICE.-IIfILTON.
In the Preface to the Rev. Mr. Todd's forthcoming new
edition of the Lift of Milton, with many additions, "de-
rived principally from documents in his Majesty's State
Paper Office, new first published," speakin of such State
Paper Mee, it is mentioned that "it occurred some time
sttice to the P••puty Keeper of the State Papers, Robert Le-
mon, Esq. that, as the official life of Milton was known
only as to the fact of his having been Latin Seeretoty
to the Council of State during the Usurpation, an inves-
tieation of the Orders of Council might discover new
hots relating to the Secretary. His searches were repaid
with ample success ; and his Extracts from the Council
Books were transmitted to nie, with the kind approbation
of the Iti;slit Hon. Mr. Secretary Peel, early in 1825.
broks, from which so much cnrious information is
Thiderived, contain the daily transactions of the Executive
Government in England from February 1646-9, to Sept.
lois,;, in uninterrupted succession ; and are particularly
valuable from the dissolution of the Long Parliament, in
telt, to the death of Cromwell, as, during the great part
of that period, the Council of State combined the executive
and I endative functions of Government; and these Order
nooks, Mr. Lemon adds, are the authentic, but hith-trto
eakie.wn, records of their proceedings. But besides these,
in the same cffice, there exists other documents, entitled
Royalists Composition Papers They comprehend two
distinct Belies, the first of rations of Royalists to th •
Commissioners for Sequestration, of the orders of' those
(:ornmissieni.ns respecting the requeetration of estates,of the
r.vorts of their suborelimate officers, and of the correspon-
db nee with Sub-Comminioners and other Agents in every
rail of th.., kingdom. The second series exhibits the ori-
gii.al particulars of propetty and estates, for which Royal-
ist- were permitted to comgound on the payment of a tine.
Tito•e papers are peculiarly valuable, in illustrating the
history, as well as the various property of individu-
tCwoughout the kingdom, during the time of the great
• ,'•ion. Of tbes.r. by toe eontinucd industry and accurate
• !ion of Mr. Lemon, no less than 167 folio volumes
• . Linn recovered and arranged, when (in 1826 also) lie
• • emitted to me from this in valvable collection, the sequin-
• I.:ti papers relating to Mr. Powell, the father of Milton's
.• v:ife, in which Milton himself is particularly concerned;
;•• to Sir Christopher Milton, the brother of the poet.
thll.2r papers and letters from the same Office, alike un-
krown tiil now, and of the greatest service to the biography
ei have since, at various times, been sent to me
1:e OM gentleman; empowered ache wakat all times so to
L.•, from the very first exertion of his kindness, by the
p -tr:tsion of Mr. Secretary Peel; to whom, and to Mr.
i':•Oir Secretary Hobhouse?, I acknowledge the greatest
rl:lptionf,, as well as to Mr. Lemon; and to whose in-
t•-•mality the public is indebted for what is now told
e,i di: Poet, or his family, and of some of his works, which
e.-e.r was before in print, APC Ainfile of the Poet's hand-
er:-;•ir:••, is given from a document in the State Paper Office.
The third section of the " Life" is " from Milton's ap-
p-,1• onion as S,•eretary for Foreign Tongues, to the Realtor-
o` is ing Chula the Second." It opens with stating—
" The Book of Orders of the Council during the Usurpation,
I.:rveil in his Majesty's State Paper Office, presents the
P ai,lrt4Fcil by. a Committee, appointed for the purpose
cf inviting 11;m into office, ;bout six weeks after the
I,irtyriloin of the King." Then follow an immense num-
Ler of seleetioes from the Council Books, after the note—
" Now first presented to the public rye, excepting three or
four extracts embodied in Dr. Sunine•r s Introduction to his
cunt translation of Milton's Treatise De Doetriad
(', •i,efiii.);:i." The following are portions of this part of the

That it be referred to the Committee [eormistlng of Mr.
:16.ke, Sir Fhoiry Vane, Lord Lisle. Earl of Denbigh. Mr.
.n. ,Vr lisle. or any two of them] to spoke with Mr. Mil-
a whahrr he will employed us Sccraary fur thc
7' `.r. ; and torcpert to the Calmer%
!. !Ca eh 15.--OrAtred that Mr. John cia-
Sr d ey fin Forreigae Tinigues to this Cantwell; and
liAvt tile same silage which 31r, Weckherlyn formerly
e same service.
t., March 22.—Ordered that the letters now read be sent
imburgh, in behalf of the Company Gl' Merchant Adven-
: be approved, and that they be translated into Latino by
.lane 23. —Ordered that Mr. Milton doe examine the
,er agm.ll2.- us, and report what he finds in them to the

nc
Note.—The .11,p:writes Propnetieus, a newspaper which made
s tint appear.ince in September 164. But the especial direction
ere point., pe:hep. at the " Mercurius Pnignisticus tor King
.harks April, cr.49." This Newspaper was properly imp-
n%st4l for A hail. But we find • Ilerctirius Pragmsoicus revived,
I, Joni: 30, 101." See Nichnles Lit. A r.ecd. v. ir. p. 48.1
• 1ii49.:), Jai. it _That Mr. Itliiton due prepare something in
-vaa to the beak of Saimipioa, and when be bath done itt bring
to the I outtc:ll.'

But it i, remarkable (says the Rev. Mr. Todd) that no pre.
nmatid, or request, is found in these memorials respect.
a:.Tivir which 3111 ton produced, in the latter part of Iti49,
ion 80, :Iirle, or PoPteoitaire of the late Kirg itt his Soli.
S, sings."
May 21—Ordered, that Mr. Dune doe proceed in the
ltting of Mr. Milton's Ilooke, written in anower to the late
!eft !Stake, and that it be left to 3lr. Frost to give him such re-
;.l for his paints as hee shall thinke fitte.' "
• • • • • • •
" There is an original letter from Milton to Bradshawe. in
1.-11 .if llarccll ; and to this application Marvell, no doubt,
Tel his Futvwcpcnt introduction into office. The letter endorsed
11.noltratk the Lord Brad:hone, remains in his Ma-
sty's State Paper Office, and was discovered while these pages
trT Itivitug through the press, by the gentleman, to whose zeal
rid r.-curicy I have been Indebted for copies of the literary and
cli: cam! eurimiti:a which the present and the preceding section
- •

&e.
MY imni).—Hut that It would be an interruption to ye
Wilefti!l yor studies are perpetually imployed, I Phould
art anl then venture to supply thus my enforced absence wth
line or two, though it were my noels, busdoess, & thut would
e nor s!igle one, to make my due aeknowletlgments of yr many
,coures ; %eh I both doe at this time and ever shall: & have
nit lankr, rich I thought my parte to let you know of, that
tot will be wth you to-morrow, upon some occasion of bushes,
gentleman whose name is Mr. Mara ilc; a man whom both by
;tort, and ye converse I ban had wth him, of singulart desert
r ye State to make szte of: who shoe offers himselfe if yere
• any iatploymeat for hint. His father was ye Minister of
& he 11.1 th rpm four yeares abroad in Holland, Fratfee,
• .y. Si.a:ne, to very good purpose, as I bekrve. & ye
,:neing of dolt! fu• !a-guns ,es; besides he is a schollcr, & well
. I e Latin & flre k sullen; & nue doubt of an sp.

and CallVfr.ation, tor h.: csnis now lately out of ye hum of
loud F.crefax. who) was General, where was intrusted
some in tr :c4ons in ve languages, to ye Isdy his
epo t ye d:ath of Mr. lirukrriv, ye Coon-
t'iMke yt 1 shall reed any assistant in ye perform.
Flee? (though, for my pt, I find noe encumbrances
bJongs to me, except it be in point of attendance at
a tit Ambassadors, wch, I must confesse, in my con.
for) it would be bard for them to find a man
yt ptirmse as this gentleman, one who I be.
3ert ti,.e would be able to doe them as gond service us
Ti.i*. my Lord. 1 Write sincerely, without at any
nd t:iln to I erforme my duets to ye publish, in helping
ca :.;.,1; si!rvant ; laying aside these jealousies, awl that
r 'vet mine mane condition might suggest to me by bring.
c in t,-;.inr remaine,
" yet most obliged, and faithful servant,
" JOHN 3111.T0N.111.6.g•F1.
Marvell's :regard for Milton (adds the Rev. Mr. Todd),
es usually plaited to Parudisc Lust are an elegant

r. A scln
.1 her

!...,).:41,ing of Milton's Praltsity, the Rev. Mr. T. men-
at p. 295, " that Deborals, the third daughter and
welt favourite with the Poet, was the only one who
i:al children that lived: she married Abraham Clarke,
a weaver in Spitalfields, and died aged 76, in August,
1;27. She had seven sons and three daughters, of whom
wily Caleb and Elizabeth are remembered. Caleb migra-
tit to Fort St. George, where, perhaps, he died ; Eliza-
Leth, the yrringest daughter, married Thomas Foster, fl
weaver, in SpitalCelds, and had seven children, who all
In section ix. termed " Recapitulation and condu-
ti," p. 369, the II:v. Mr. T. states—" To the concluding
- of Mr. Wharton, in the seventh section, in which
• Clarke, the grandson of Milton (who migrated to the
hist Indies), is mentioned, I am enabled to add, from the
• communication of Sir James Mackintosh, that he was
clerk of Madras. Ilis children were the last de-
-,:ants of the poet; but of them nothing further is

Milton became acquainted with the celebrated Galileo,
'born many biographers have represented as in prison when
poet visited him. But Mr. Walker has informed me
that Galileo was never a prisoner in the Inquisition at Ho-
rnet', although a prisoner of it. On his arrival at Rome,
en February 10, IG3q, that illustrious Philosopher had
iurrcadered himself to Urban, who ordered him to be
confined for his philosophical heresy in the Palace of

•

.4.*

ROME CIRCUIT.

CROWN SIDE

ROGER CnESLEY.

,

T'llE BRITISH PRESS.

MAIDSTONE, AtTO. 5.

Jame* Hook, William Batter, end Abel Ftrawir, young men of
respectable appearance, were indicted for asmulting and violating
the person of Jane, the wile of James Murrell, against her will, at
Tente, den, on the 20th June lave. . .

Mr. 1). Po ttoc x and Mr. Al ARSIIAIN condncted the prosecu-
tion and Mr. A r D.,EWB anti Mr. CLARK:Iog the defence.
This use presented some circumstances wholly unprecedented
in the records of crime. The oldest of the prisoners was about
twenty-seven, and the prosecutrix was • woman turned sixty, and
extremely infirm in Isealsis. She had been the mother of twelve
children. It appeared that the prosecutrix was addicted to drunken-
ness, alhough a woman of respectable appearance. About five
o'clock in the afternoon of the 20th June, she was out walking with
her husband in some fields near Tenterden. She had been drink-
ing spirituous liquors, and was then nine's inehnated. lice hus.
band having occ +stun to go to a village at some distance, left her
to find her way home alone. Shortly after he left her she dropped
on the ground in a state of insenstbili y. Whilst in this condition,
it was alleged that one of the prsoners Came up and caviled her
into an adjoining field, and there, being joined by the others, they
successively emoted the offence imputed. Two of the prisoners
are stated to have repented the offence three times each, and the third
twice. This was alleged to have taken place in open day, and in the
view of some other young men. none of whom had thehumanity to in-
terfi re. The prosecutrix was discovered by a female friend, exposed
in a disgusting situation, and carried home. She did not tome to latr
senses until tour o'clock the following morning, when she found
herself In a deplorable situation from the injuries she had received.
During her insensibility she was utterly unconacioga of what had
happened. In the outset of the case a question arose, whether,
under, such circumstances, the averment of force and against the
will of the pro.ectstrig could be sustained, else being unable to
make any resistance, and having no power of volition on the occa-
sion.
Mr. Justice llnt.novn sail he dicreld not decide this point;
but, if necessary, would reserve it fbr the consideration of the twelve
Judges.
After the evidence for the pirtlecotion was gone through, a doubt
arose as to the proof of an essential pint of the crime alleged.
The Jury, under the Learned Judge's direction, found the pi-
t toners Not aunty.
-

The priaonera were then arraigned on a feeend indictment,
charging them with an a‘aanit with intent to violate only. To this
they pleaded Not Guilty, hut exercised their right of traversing the
indictment until the next Assizes. . -

The Assizes are not expected to terminate before Friday next.

THE DOWAGER LADY GRESI,EY AND SIR

"The fashionable world is much occupied with • charge of
lunacy preferred against a Lady by her own son. The am Wall to
be tried at Berwick-upon-Tweed. Applications were made to the
Lord Chancellor on SVcdne•day (which he heard in his private
room), to remove the inquiry to London; and the affidavits were
so strong, showing the Lady's correct, however eccentric, conduct
for years, that the application was granted, and the inquiry, if pur-
sued further, Is to take place in London. The body is • great
reader, of extraordinary memory and quickness. and hence appears
eccentric to the world in gencral."—Norsing Paprr.
- - - -

it is better to waive the mystical mention of names, which only
excites enrimity without gratifying it, than to leave the public
merely in possession of the vague information which the above para-
graph would convey. We regret to state that the Dowager Lady
Gresley, and her son, Sir Roger, are the respectable persons to
whom it relates. The lady against wham the application his been
made was an heiress, and is at this moment in the independent pos-
session of a very large fortune. She claims one of the proudest
descents In this country, and she presided for many years, sur-
rounded by a circle deeply attached to her, over the freqttent and
splendid hospitalities of her husband at Draxelow Hall. ire are in
possession of the whole circumstances of the ease, and of what
passed at the private hearing in the Lord Chancellor's room. It
may not be uninteresting for the public to know, that the Hon.
I Baronet and his mother, since the marriage of the former, have not
been on the best terms with each other, on account, as is said, of
the match between Sir Roger and the accomplished daughter of the
Earl of Coventry, of which her Ladyship, for reasons with which
the public lave no concern, did lint approve. Ilex Ladyship, we
have reason to know, even applied to the Lord Chancellor, with a
view to prevent the marriage, and she has always refused to receive
her daughter-in-law. She was also averse to Ira standing either for
Eversham or Litchfield, for both of which he stood, and was unsuc-
cessful, during the late Election ; but willing to advance a consi-
derable sum for the attempt in another borough. These circum-
stances, however, are foreign to the subject of the inquiry, which is
the state of mind of Lady Greeley.

TIIE Coax LAWS.-Mr. Dualy? the intelligent Secre-
tary of the Hampshire Agricultural Society, has addressed
a letter to the owners and occupiers of land in Hampshire,
in the prospect that a revision of the Corn Laws will form
one of the measures which Ministers intend to submit to
the new Parliament. The object of the writer is to show

that asystetn of prohibitory eludes on the importation of
foreign grain cannot be ultimately beneficial to the British
fanner, and that a cautious and gradual approach to the
principles of free trade cannot be contrary to his per-
manent interest:—
"From the introduction of such a system (says Mr. Duthy) It is
my fi'm persuasion that farmers have little to fear. Some mind-
, *ion anti some depression of prices must probably take place,
from the effect seen of opinion and speculation at Its corn-
ruenceinent, but not more than we may espect under our pre-
sent system, whenever either an unusually fertile or unpro-
ductive Itsrvcst shall take place ; events, in our variable cli-
mate, frequently occurring. And when the period of tem-
porary embarrassment has passed over, we shall not have to
return to the same perilous and intricate path in which we
have been some time travelth g. but we shall be placed in a
broad and straight road in which we can exert ourselves with
freedom and security. If some land should be thrown out of
cultivation (and not mu& is likely to be placed in that situation),
the rate of profit on the remainder will be increased; if the prices
of corn fall in some degree here, they will rise in a corrresponcling
degree abroad. If we pay for the imported cern in gold, as some
fear may be the case, this rise of prices abroad will be considerably
enhanced, and if we can, as we surely may, reduce our own cost of
produe.ion, by an abatement of our talcs and other burthens direct-
ly and indirectly incident on agriculture, we may gradually bring
our prices of produce to be more commensurate with those of the
rest of Europe, the imin eircutnstance thut is wanting to insure the
stability of our national greamess. We must never forget that, if
comparative freedom of trade shall prove conducive to the general
interests of the community, it cannot be prejudicial to the perma-
.

next interest of agriculture, which can receive no protection: no en-
couragement, so effectlial, and so lasting, as that which arise, from
the general prosperity of the country."
PARIS COURT or AsslgE..—Peter Dumont, who re-
turned about six years ago from Algiers, where he had been a
slave upwards of thirty-four years, was charged with stealing a
watch from one of his 14110 w-workmen. The evider.ce against the
prisoner was strong, but the foliowing appeal from his counsel,
111. Select:tee de Sacy, procured his acquittal :—" Will you over.
look," said M. de Sacy, " the thirty-four years of suffmng of my
elieut under the yoke of the Moors, when, a martyr for his God, he
preferred slavery to liberty and opulence, which were offered as the
price of abjuration ? Ah, gentlemen, if after so many years of
heroic courage, he is to he again punished with imprisonment, let
it not be in the prisons of his own cnuntry,with the refuse of society!
Send him richer to Algiers, where he may bear with patience, but
not with disgrace, the evils of his fortune."—A very genteel
looking man, named Leroux, and two women, his accomplices,
were chargedwitb having smh:a several diamonds and other valuable
articles from jewellers. The mode of theft adopted by Leroux was
novel and ingenious. le carried in his hat a number of carti4
with patterns of brooches, &c., on which was spited a quantity of
bird-lime ; on laying down these cards under pretence of comrnr.
log the patterns with the articles exhibited, he generally centrived
to wry away at least one diamnad, which adhered to the bird.lime.
One of the witnesses deposed to having lost a very large diamond
in this way ; on the occasion of Lerouirc visit to this witness, he
said on quitting. after having purchased and paid for an article of
trilling value, " If I am satisfied with you, I shall return and take
something more." This evidence excited a laugh, in which the
witness and Leroux joined heartily. Leroux was condemned to
seven years' solitary confinement, and his accomplices were ac-
quitted.
- -

•
House: STE ALING.•-•—TIIC horse fair at Winchcomh, on I
Friday last, drew together several desperate gangs of those ruffians
who make a trade of their deptedaions; and, still regardless of the i
awful example recently made by the severity of the law, carry on •
their felonious practices with as much daring as if the arm
of justice were never destined to arrest their career of guilt.
On the occasion to which we immediately refer, the streets of
Winehcomb were infested with thieves from every quarter of the
county, end especially from the Warwickshire. Oxfordshire, and
Bristol districts; we have consequently heard of not less than
eight cases iti which horses were stolen, and eighteen in
which pockets were picked, besides multifarious offences of a
lower grade : thus did the rogues pursue their avocation with
success proportioned to the depth of their. schemes, and the hardi-
hood of their undertaking. An experienced farmer, who had for
many years attended fairs, was at last doomed to be one of their
victims, nay, the very first ; far on pretence of making trial of the
paces of the horse on which he rode, he suffered an apparently re-
spectable young man to jump into the saddle,' while he took charge,
of a showy but worthless animal, which was offered him in ex-
change, when the thief, turning Lyons. round, with " flood bye,
farmer," galloped off with his prize, and was speedily out
of sight. Amongst other horses stolen on this occasion
was a valuable cob, the property of Mr. Creed, of Cheltenham,
solicitor, who had sent his-clerk, Mr. Jones, to the fair, for the
purpose of selling the animal. The thieves were pursued by Jones,
a Mr. Smith (who received a blow from a bludgeon which threw
him from his horse and split his hat completely), and one or two
others, but they succeeded in catering the recesses Of Wych wood
Forest, with their booty. This Forest, it is supposed, contains
caverns fur the reception of stolen property, and as none hut
bandits can safely entcr it, dangerous precincts, the pursuers were
Obliged to relinquish the chase.