The sun., 1916-03-05
1865 and was beheaded by William

the Conqucror because Of his valiant
defence OF his stronghold. About two
miles to tho west Of Morpcth and south
Of the River Wansbeck are the ruins
Of the old castle Of Milford, taking its
name from the meeting there Of tho
two streams. the Wansbcck and the
4 Font. and here was the cradle Of the
race from which Algernon Bertram
Freeman Milford, Lord Redesdalc,
sprang. His ancestors figure widely in
the historic and literary annals Of
Engla nd. one indeed being the subject
OF ballad to he found In Percy's $
"ReliQues.' when one looks at the
little village Of Milford to-day" writes
the author. 1T Is hard to believe 1t was
once a borough" The feeling of clan
ship was strongly rooted in the people.
In 1850 or thcreabout the author re-
members an old woman. one Bella Har-
bottle. who with her brother occupied
two or three rooms IN what remained
OF the seventeenth century manor
house. They were specimens of grand
o,d type OF northern pcasantry and
profoundly concerned for the interests
Of the great family. \ gentleman who
had bought a small adjoining estate
built his house very close to the boin-
Diary line. Bella was disturbed anl
walked out daily. leaning on her
crutched stick. 10 see that there was
no encroac chment. The neighbor, aware
that he was being watched and much
amused. said one day: you See. Bclla,
IL Is all right: ] am not removing my
neighbor's landmark An" she grum-
bled. I'm thipkin' you're buildin' your
house vera high" For even the air
was sacred to the family OF her wor-
ship.
William Milford. the famous his
tOrian OF Greece and more highly
rated by Carlyle than Grote himself
was Redesdale's great grandfather. He
was also "a Member Of Parliament and
commanded the Hampshire militia
Mtford's history naturally took the
Tory side OF Greek politics. while both
Groie and Thirlwall followed on the
| Radical side. His son. Lord Redes~
dale's father. was the author OF Nit
ford on Peadings." a Law classic.
, Among the Ashburnham treasures
is one OF the two shirts worn by
Charles I. at his execution. The story
goes that the King insisted on wear
: 'hS wv WI ttldN Nolu
morning lest he should shiver and
/ men should think IL WAS from fear.
The shirt was kept by an ancestor.
John Ashburnham. who attended his
! Majesty on the scaffold: IL was deeply
stained with the blood Of the martyr.
but was unfortunately washed in the
time OF Lord Redesdale's grandmother
! by a too jealous housekeeper.
One OF Lord Redesda,e's aun,s. Lady
Jane Swinburnc was the mother OF
7 the great poet and perhaps as valuable
! pages as this book contains are those
describing AlgernOn Charles Swim
! burne. OF whom biographical data are
! 80 scant while at E,on. OF Lady Jane
! the author notes that she was a
| highly cultivated woman from whom
the author received the finest part OF
! li!s endowment. Swinburne entered
E,on in ls,s and his parents. Admiral
| Sw.nburne and Lady Jane. put him a.
: once IN the care Of his moro expert
enced cousin: for Aigernon Milford.
having entered college at the age
, of 2. was an experience schoolboy.
! His description OF Swinburne as Il
boy is delightfully."- vivid:
I; was a, E,on tia. he began 10 f..
his wings. Hi bringing IN a; hom. had
! hs.n scrupIlogsly s':irt. ~. literary a...
! the ver!eH pap HIS .reoOc!ous Srain hal
| been noutished upon food :or ha 7es Sol
| move! had lie been allowed to open. aot
| even Water SCOTS. Shakespeare ne on.y
| knew through the medium Of his precious
| brown Bowder. can see him
now. .it,ing perenei up Turk ny tailor
| wise in one OF the windows looking out
| on the Yard, with some huge Old Word
! tome almost as o!g as himself on he
! Zap. the afternoon sun seeing NE he
sres: mop OF red hs- There :, vas
tina: h" cmaneipa.ei himself. making
acquaintance with shake.pcar, toi .1l.
Bovd!er'. Msr.ows. Sponser. Ben Jnu.on
Ford Mass:ngsf. Beaumont sni F',,ehc-.
| and the other great pp.;s and p,ayv...n's
of the sixteenth ami seventeenth cen'urlos
HIS tendency was greatly tooa-d -.
drama, especially the Tras!r Drama. II"
had great sense Of humor in Others. IL
Uo-shlppsd D'okens and would quote him
especially Mrs, Gampl unn.arylngy. bu.
his oN genius leaned 20 tragedy.
1t Is absurd 10 pretend as MAS sad In
| !e'er 10 the Tmes. that a hoy N
had an extraordinarily wide knoNledg, of
the Greek poeis. witch ne -eal with pa,,
IN the Original" H. study of the Gr.sk
tragedians, upon Whose work he :, large
modelled his own, came much la,a- In ..s,.
A. E.on these we're lessons. ami l.s~ou.
are odious; beside. no one can a~si'n.'a.o
.4:schy'us in hompopa.h'r dose. OF thirty
Ines. and he knew no 'nor. creek :rtu
any intelligent ho; of his age would 80
nor did ne take any prominent pas, in ~.
regular school work. though he wa a
Prince conSorts pristma1 .or modern A.
guaEes His n:s' love IN literature v..
given 10 the Eneli'h p'e's, ami after g..