The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-05
lMILrON's DIVORCE.
A Newly Discovered Explanation Of the
Poets Separation from His First Wife,

fOets separation Irom Ills lrSt Wue,
Mr.. Edward Scott writes to the London An
thenEMgn. Among the correspondence and
papers Of Sir Edward Nicholson, Secretary
Of State to Charles and to Charles II, which
had the pleasure Of eataloRulng for Messrs.
Puttick u Simpson last wluter. 1 came across
" letter OF apparently little Importance or In
lieve may throw perfectly new and very
strong light on nm occurrence In Milton's life
which, from his time to the present, has
never been satisfactorily explained. Iallude
fest wife, Mary Powell, daughter Of Richard
Powell, Of Forest Hill, near Oxford. Before
i give, however, y copy Of the letter, l
must mention few facts about tho public
events ut tho time OF this MARRIAGE In order
to explain my surmises ln relation to IL. In
November, 1912, occurred the capture OF
Brentford by Charles /, and his retreat Soon
after to Oxford, where he spent the year 16A3.
During tho spring Of 1643 Milton left London,
went 70 Forest Hill and married Mary Pow
eli, the daughter OF an ardent Royallst. In
the second volume Of Prof. Masson's admirn-
bio "Life Of Milton" liz b very full account OF
this wedding, and he points out how strange
1t was that the poet "the anti-Episcopal pam
phlstesr. and altogether one OF the most
marked of extreme Parlanentatians out of
Parliament should venture so near the Roy
alst headquarters. 1t was @ mystery but
not 30 great mystery as tho cause OF his
sudden divorce OF his Royalist wife within
three months after their marriage. The real
motive for this has never been guessed, and
Prof. Masson points out In his third volume
that Millions nephew Phillips must be
wrong IN the story he. gives up OF 1t,
MlchaeImas, lea8, because he knew for Ger e..
talnty that the tract ON Divorce was out on
the first Of August, 1G43, and after Its publca-
tion 1t ~ Impossible to believe TINT no could
have made any overtures whatever for her
mxrA fhna hat har thar Hiatt NJ
ly affirmed only few years later that her
husband turned away his wife heretofore for
o long space upon some other OCCASION What
was the occasion that led to such extraord.-
nary conduct on the part OF bridegroom Of
have been the fact that the Phllistines plowed
with his heifer,' In other words, that the Roy
allsts at Oxford gained information OF the
movements OF their enemies through the
brothers Of Mary Powell, then students at
information from their sister Mary, and that
their sister Mary betrayed her husbans hon.
or and forfeited her husbands love by using
her newly won position to retail to her family
oil she heard and saw around her In her Puri
tan household. now proceed to give copy
Ut this letter rs foundit:
"'May IL please g0lty hononr--To remember
that upon his late Malesties Returns to Oxon
after Brainford Fight, did present His Ma
iesty t0li In Gould. which he was pleased to
deliver TO your hands. And likewise that
did often send Intelligence to your Honour at
Oxon by the hands Of Mr.. Richard Powell,
now Bencher OF the Temple.
II doc most hnmbly request your Honours
favour to Certify the aforesaid particulars. or
what elce your Honour shall think fitt touch
Ing my Loyalty. have peticioned his Ma
jesty for the Rsversion Of o Walters Place at
the Custome House and your Honours Ger
me therein. For which and all other your
great Favours both to my Mother and my
self shall ever remayne
"'Your Honours most humble and
obedlant Servant
HMay Goth 1867. WILLIAM GARRETT
Mr.. Powell Lived at Forrest
Hill neare Oxon.
"ThiY letter lis not addressed to any one,
but have since found an original draft OF an
answer to 1t in the hand of Secretary Eicho-
las, In which he certiiies to the writer's par
ticular diligence and faithfulness In the late
troubles to do his Majesty OF blessed memory
service, not only by supplying his Majesty
according to his ability, but by giving fire.
while his Majesty was at Oxford on the then
rebels movements and other matters
II ought To remark that the postscript to
Carrots letter, Mr.. Powell lived at Forest
Hill, near Oxon, is In another hand-that,
believe, OF Sir Joseph Williamson.
"Prof. Mason, In the introduction to his
edition OF Millions Samson Agonistes,' points
out with considerable skill and ability many
photographed illusions made by the
dramatist to his own experience In life con-
trasted with those OF Samson, his blindness,
his abstemiousness, his marriage with an
enemy's daughter, etc. To this we can now
add another from the clue furnished by Gar
rets letter, where Milton says, In l. 382 OF
Samson Agonistes;'
Ibid not she
or Timna first hetray me-. and reveal
The secret wrested from nus In her height
OF nuptial love professed, carrying 1t straight
To them who had corrupted her. my spies
And rivals?'
"And again In |. 1888:
" Let me here
AS deserve pay on my punishment.
And expiate, III possible my crime
Secrets Of mon, the secrets OF friend,
How heinous had the fact been, how deserving
Contemtt and scorn OF ALTO be excluded
All friendship and avoided as u blab,
The marx OF fool set on his 'front.'
"And lastly, In |. 773, Dalia herself says
what no doubt poor Mary Powell urged as her
excuse.
First granting. as do, 1t was weakness
In me, but incident to al! our sex.
Curiosity. inqutsitive, fmpoftuna
Of secrets, then with ike infirmity
To publish them-both common female faults
But | to enemies revealed, and should not
.
The Merry Maiden and Her Mates.
tForney's progress.l
On one OF our principal streets lives little