Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-07-18
sTAUNHON, (yA.) WEDNNsDAY. JUIY As. ls4o.

about ten o the clock. Arrived at Master Agnew's
ooore, iuoud II open, no one in parour or study
sue DICK tooke ye horses rounde and then we went
stIalte thro' ye h0use, into the garden behind,
which IS on rising ground, with Pleached alleys
and turien walks, ard peep Of We church through
We trees. lad tolde us his mistress was with tire
bees, soc We walked towards we hives; and from
an arbour hard by, hearde mnrmur, though not Of
bees, issuing. In this rusticall bowre. found Roger
Agnew reading to Rose and to Mr.. Milton There
upon ensued mamie cheerfulle salutaiions and Rose
proposed returning to ye house, but Master Agnew
sayd 1t was peasanter in ye bowre, where was room
for allie; soc then Rose offered to take me to her
chamber TO lay aside my hoode, and promised to
send junkelt into We arbour wherein Mr.. Agnew
smiled at MIR. Milton, and sayd somewhat of '.neat-
handed Phillis."
As we went alonge, told Rose had scene her
guest once before, and thought him comedy pleas
ant gentleman. She Taught, and sayd, "Peasant
why, he is one Of we greatest scholars of our ,ime
and knows more languages than you or over hearde
Of" made answer, 'I'hat may be, and yet might
not ensure his being pleasant, but rather we contra
ry, for | cannot reade Greeke and Latin, Rose like
you" Quoth Rose, "But you can reade English,
and he hath writ some of We loveliest English YER
SEES you ever heafde, and hath brought US new
composure this morning, which Roger, being his
Ollie college friend, was discussing with him. to my
great pleasure, when you came. After we have
eaten We junkett, he shall beginne it again." "By
no MEANS" sayd "for I love talking more than
reading. However, il was not so TO be, for Rose
woude not be fuyled and as it woulde not have been
good manners TO decline We hearinge in presence of
ye poet, was constrained TO suppresse a secret
yawne and felgn attention, though, truth to say it
soone wandered; and, during We last halle hour,
sat in a comp!eat dreame tho not unpleasant one
Roger having made an end, twas diverting TO heare
HIM commencing We piece unto ye author who as
gravey accepted it !; yet, with nothing fullesome i
buI one miSn ah,rt
there was a sedae sweetnesse in We poets wordes
as well as lOokes and shortlie, waving We discus
sion OF his own comp0Sures, he beganne to talke of
those of other men, as Shakespeare, Spenser, Cow
ley, Ben johnson, and of Tasso, and Of Tasso's
friend the Marquis of Villa, whom, it appeared, Mr.
Milton had knowledge of in Italy. Then he askt
me, woude | not willingly have scene We country
Of Romeo and juliet, and prest to know whether /
loved poetry; but, finding me loathe to tell, sayd
he doubted not preferred romances, and that he
had read marie, and loved them dearly too sayd.
l loved Shakspeare's plays better Than Sidney's
Arcadia; on which he cried "righte,'' and drew
nearer TO me, and woulde have talked at greater
length; but, knowing from Rose how learned he
was, feared to shew him was sillie foole soc.
like sillle fooie, held my tongue.
Dinner eggs, bacon, roast ribs of lamb, spinach
potatoes, savory pie, Brentord pudding, and
cheesecakes What pretty housewife Rose is !
Rogers plain hospi,alie and scholarlle discourse
aPpcaicu W huCH lie dSkL OF news rom
Paris and Mr.. Milton spoke much of we Swedish
ambassador, Dutch by birth /; a man renowned for
his learnng magnanlmity and misfortunes of whom
he had scene much. He told Rose and me how
this Mister Van der Groote had been unjustlie caste
Into prison by his countrymen and how his good
wife had shared his caplivitie and had tried to get
his sentence reversed failing which, she contrived
his escape in big chest, which she pretended to
be full of heave old BOXES. Mr.. Milton concluded
with the exclamation, "Indeede, there never was
such woman - OH which, deare Roger, whome
beginne to love, quoth, go yes. there are mamie
such-we have two at table now" Whereat MIR.
Milton smiled.
AT leave-takug pressed Mr.. Agnew and Rose to
come and see us soone and Dick askt MIR. Milton
to see we bowling greene.
Ride home, delightfulle.
l1M.-Thought, when | woke this morning.
had been dreaminge of st. Paul let down We wall
In basket but founde, on more closely examining
the matter, twas Grotius carried down We ladder in
a chest; and methought | was his wife, eaninge
from ye window above, and crying to we soldiers,
''Have care, have care!" IT'S certayn shoulde
have betraed him by an over-anXiete.
Resolved to give father Sheepscote dinner, but
Margery affirmed ye haunch woulde no long CT
keepe, so was forced to have ii dressed, though
meaning TO have kept it for companie. Little Kate
who had been out allie ye morning, came in with
her lap full Of butter burs, the which was glad to
see, as mother esteemes them sovereign remedie
'gainst ye plague, which is liketo be rife in Oxford
this summer, the cite being overcrowded on ac-
count Of his My. While laying them ont on We
ste- room floor, ia bursts Robin to say Mr.. Agnew
and Mr.. Milton were with father al the bowling
greene, and would dine here. Soc was Glad Mar
gerry had put down ye haunch. Twas past one
u the clock however, before it could be sett on Ia
bic; and L had just run up 10 pin my cafnation
knots, when hearde them all come in dscoursino
merrilie.
At dinner Mr.. Milton askt Robin Of his Studies
and was IN payne for ye deare boy, knowing him
to be better affected to his out dDore recreatons than
to his boOke but nc answered boldlie he was in O.
vid, and lookt in Mr. Millions face to guesse wa:
that goode scholarship no; but he turned it to
wards my father, and sayd he was trying an oxpe
rment on two young nephews OF his owne, wheh
or ye reading those aulhoTs,ihat treae of physica
subjects mlghte not advantage them more than "
poets; whereat my father tested with him. ne lie
ing himselve Of the fraterhitie he seemed to de
splse. But he uphclde his argumene so braveli
that father listened in earneste silence. Meantime
the cloth being drawne, and in feare of remann!
over long, was avised TO withdrawe myseIle carrie
Robin following, and begging me TO goe downe {
ye fish ponds. Afterwards allie we others uyned us
and we safe on ye steps till the sun went down
when, the horses benge brougbte round, our guest
, took leave without returning TO we house Fathe
walked thoughtfullic home with me- leaning on III
shoulder, and spake little.
l5h.--Afer writing ye above last night In IN
chamber, went TO bed and had most heavenli
Greame. Methoughte it was brighte, brighte moon
, llghe, and was walking with Mr.. Milton on
b terrace--not orr terrace, but in some outlandis
place and it had fights and flights of green mai
bic steps, descending, cannot tell how fare, wit
stone figures and vases on everie one. We wen
downe and jowne these steps, till we came TO
t fare piece Of water, still! in we moonlighte an
them methoughte, he woulde be taking leave, an