Grass Valley telegraph., 1853-12-15
LITERARY RELICS.

The house in which Milton resided between
the years 1851 and 1869, existed only few
years back, at No. Is York street. Westmns-
ter, London. Jeremy Bentham to whom the
house belonged, put up tablet on the back
wall (believed to have been the front in the
poc1s time) inscribed, -" Sacred to Milton
prince of poets" This habitatiOn, wherein
par5 Of Paradise Lost" was undoubtedly
COM )sed was at the time we allude to, rent
ed co two or three poor families, the ground
aool icing converted into a chandler's shop.
From the parlor windows the poet could have
commanded view Of st. James Park, more
picturesque then, than at present. At Chal-
font n Buckinghamshire is another residence
Of Milton's, in which he composed /" Paradise
Regained." Though the pear tree, said ODE
planted by Cromwell. in Sidney College,
Cambridge, was cut down in March. 1888 the
mulberry tree planted by his illustrious Lat
in secretary, Mi ton. has been more fortunate.
still tlourishing- in~ the plSasdtl garden If
Christ's College, where it was planted by tHe
youthful student.
Some years ago it suffered considerably
from violent gale of wind, which sadly shat
tered it; but its aged boughs were carefully
prOpped up. and its trunk protected bya par
tial covering of lead. With these aids it
promised to look green for many years to
come. Its fertility appeared to have under
gone no change; in the summer it was laden
with fruit, of which more than two bushels of
the finest flavor were gathered in the season
Of 1885. The smallest fragments from this
tree were religiously cherished by the poets
numerous admirers. In August, 1890, when
Milton's coffin was discovered buried under
the desk in the channel of The church of ST.
Giles, Cripplegate, some friends Of the over
seer contrived, at night time, TO possess them
selves of the hair and some Of tue teeth Of
the immortal poet.
In the grounds of Arlington Alb th-
amptonshire, stands GaTrick's nj. ee,
with his inscription upon copper to
one of the limbs: " This tree was ed by
David Garrick, Esq, at the request u Ann
Thursby. as a growing testimony of THEN
friendship. 1779."
Henry Kirke Whites favorite tree, where
on he had cut H. X. W., 1867 stood on the
sands at Whitton in Northumberland, till it
was cut down by the woodman's axe but in
veneration for the poets memory, the portion
bearing his initials was carefully preserved
in an elegant gilt frame
Some years ago, a curious armchair,
which had belonged to Gay the poet, was
sold at public auction, at Barnstable, his ma
tive place. 1t contained drawer underneath
the seat, at the extremity of which was
smaller drawer, connected by rod in front,
by which it was drawn out.
Benjamin Franklin's "fine crab tree walk
ing-stick, with gold head, curously wrought
in the form of a cap of liberty" we all know,
was bequeathed, in a cOdicil to his will, =" to
the friend of mankind, General Washington:"
adding, that if it had been a sceptre, he has
merited it, and would become it." General
Washington has fame beyond the price of
sceptres.
Pope's house at Binfeld has been pulled
down, but the poets parlor still exists as
part OF the present mansion, erected on the
spot. A patch Of the great forest near Bin
field has been honorably preserved, under the
name of Pope's Wood. His house at Twick-
enham is gone, the garden is bare, but the
celebrated grotto remains, stript, however, of
all tnat gave 1t plcturesqueness, grace and
beauty
Cowper's house, at Olney is still standing,
IN the same ruinous state so humorou''y de-
scrlbed by the poet; his parlor Il pied
as girls school. The summer he
garden, in which he used to sit is
verses, also remains. its walls CO cb
visitors names His residence III .eigh-
boring village of Weston has been much al
tered, but is still beautiful, with prolusion
of roses in it.
Goldsmith's cottage at Kilburn, wherein
he wrote the Vicar of Wakefield and the De-
serted Village, was taken down a few years
ago, to make way for new buildings