ADDITIONAL NOTES. Vol. i. p. 39, note 8. It appears from Cowley's Will (at p. 95) that he was subsequently a successful candidate for admission to Trinity College, Cambridge. Vol. i. p. 131. I should have appended a note to the statement in the text, that Milton was suspected of having interpolated into the book called 'Icon Basilike' a prayer from Sidney's 'Arcadia.' The statement is now generally disbelieved. (See Mitford's 'Milton,' vol. i. p. lxviii., ed. 1851; and Todd's 'Milton,' vol. i. p. 73, ed. 1852.) Vol. i. p. 135, note 44. Milton's second marriage is also registered in the parish of St. Margaret, Westminster: "John Milton, of this parish, Esq., and Mrs. Katherin Woodcocke, of the parish of Aldermanbury, spinster. Published October 22, 27, Nov. 3, 1656.” To this I will add (from the same register) what I believe has escaped the biographers of the poet, the baptism of Milton's only child by his second wife : "19 Oct. 1657. Katherin Milton, d. to John, Esq., by Katherin." Vol. i. p. 245, note 3. Waller was not so nearly related to Cromwell as is stated in the note. The exact relationship has not been satisfactorily made out. Vol. i. p. 261, 1. 8. Waller's "last ingenious biographer" was the writer of the Life prefixed to an edition of Waller published in 1773, by Percival Stockdale. Vol. i. p. 497, note 7, add Johnson follows the writer of Halifax's Life before his Poetical Works. 1716. 8vo. Vol. i. p. 529, add— "The Life of Rowe is a very remarkable instance of the uncommon strength of Dr. Johnson's memory. When I received from him the MS. he complacently observed, 'that the criticism was tolerably well done, considering that he had not read one of Rowe's plays for thirty years.'"--JOHN NICHOLS (Note in Johnson's Lives). Vol. i. p. 535, add "This fact was communicated to Johnson in my hearing by a person of unquestionable veracity, but whose name I am not at liberty to mention. He had it, as he told us, from Lady Primrose, to whom Steele related it with tears in his eyes. The late Dr. Stinton confirmed it to me by saying that he had heard it from Mr. Hooke, author of the Roman History; and he from Mr. Pope."SIR JOHN HAWKINS. Johnson should have added that the story is to be found, with some additional particulars, in Ben Victor's Letters, 1776, i. 328. Vol. i. p. 635. For the four letters (now first published) from Prior to his patron and friend, the witty Earl of Dorset, I am indebted to the kindness of the Rev. J. E. Mayer, of St. John's College, Cambridge. Mr. Mayer transcribed them from the originals in St. John's College (Prior's own College), where they are preserved with this memorandum : "May 17, 1751. “These original Lres of Mr. Prior were given me by the Revd. Mr. Upton, Prebend of Rochester, to be deposited in St. John's College Library. "JOHN TAYLOR." The notes attached have been supplied by Mr. Mayer. PRIOR TO THE EARL OF DORSET. [Now first published.] Hague, ye May. 94. 14 MY LORD,-By an Express from Dresden We have an acct that the Elector of Sax1 dyed there the 27 AP of the same distemper and almost in the same 7 May manner as his Countesse: 2 this may give some change to our affaires on that side, since his Brother and success our is in good English a resty Brute, of too much stubborness to be convinced by any Man, and too much ferocity to be 1 John George IV. 2 The Elector's mistress, Magdalena Sibylle of Neitzschütz, created Countess of Rochlitz in 1698, died on the 4th of April, 1694. 3 (Frederick) Augustus II., the Strong. softened by any Woman, a true Dane, and gouverned by one of that Nation who is a little too partial to the French Interest. The French begin to move in Flanders, our letters from France are all filled with the Misery and Desolation of that Kingdom, which is really very pressing.1 This letter may end like my last, with my Prayers for yor Lordships health and Happiness. Spare Dorsett's sacred life, decerning fate, And Death shall march thrô Courts & Camps in state, Round Dorsett's board lett Peace and Plenty dance Far off lett Famine Her sad reign advance And War walk deep in Blood thrô conquer'd France. Apollo thus began the Mystic Strain, The Muses Sons all bow'd and sayd Amen. I am with eternall Duty and respect Yor Lordsp's most obt and most humble Sert M. PRIOR. PRIOR TO THE EARL OF DORSET. [Now first published.] Hag. 28 June 97. MY LORD,-I have hoped that our Treaty might long before this have afforded something material enough for me to have troubled yor Lordsp with, but by what has been written to yor Excellees in general on that subject, you see, my Lord, that we are advanced but little beyond our Preliminaries, and that in 15 meetings we have hardly agreed to the first Article either of the Imperialists or Spaniards thô they contain little more than Pax sit. I think that the Mystery of this slowness on the French side is that they have a mind to see the Event of what they hope as well from the West-Indies as from Barcelona. We are thinking of that part of the treaty wch regards Us, and then England and Holland will certainly have quicker answers towards making a good peace, or break off those conferences wch as yet advance so little towards it. Yor Lords will see by the inclosed Protestation in what a posture K. James' affairs • Compare Prior to Secretary Blathwayt (Hague, 12 Sepr. 94), in Ellis's Letters of Eminent Literary Men (Camd. Soc.) p. 218. • Of Ryswick. stand this is the last Entry he is likely to make; the Mediat' when He showed it to the Congress declared He received and looked upon it as neither valid or of consequence, but read it only as a Curiosity. I am never to write to yor Lords without repeating my acknowledgements for all yor favours: I wish yo' Lords all that pleasure and satisfaction to yo self wch you deserve, and which yo' place of Chamberlain kept you frö enjoying so entirely as you desired: but I hope, my Lord, you will never leave the Court so absolutely as not to be near it in every case wherein the welfare of the Nation may ask yo' assistance. The King has been pleased to name Me his Secretary in Ireland, I wish the business I have here may give me leave to go to my new charge soon, and behave my self in it as One ought to do who owes his education to my Lord Dorsett's peculiar kindness to him. MY LORD,-Your LordSP as one of our Regents has seen what commonly occurred here from your secretary Mr. Yard, and indeed to have sent it to you more particularly would have been only to have desired you to read the Postboys a day or two before they appeared in print: so little is there really in all that Mystery which amuses the World that I can hardly in 6 Months find enough to furnish a letter to my Lord of Dorsett, tho' I could have written with ease twice a week to St James Forbiss: It is beyond contradiction that the King of Spain has made his Will, and by it constituted the Electoral Prince of Bavaria his heir, and the Queen to be Regent in case his Majty dyes during the Minority of the Prince: thus the Lineal right is kept to the younger Sisters Grandson and heir, the renonciation that France made when the King married the eldest Sister is confirmed to be valid, and the Dauphin (or as France was projecting) one of his younger Sons, excluded; as well as the Archduke of Austria: the Queen had a great sway in this business, and the reasons that most probably inclined Her to this choice were that She might exalt the Palatine family of which your Lordsp knows the house of Bavaria and That of Neubourg from whence She is are equally branches and that by this contrivance She might hold the Gouvern ment longer which is not the least of a Woman's aim in such cases, the Electoral Prince not being above eight year old, and as well the Archduke as the Duke of Berry 5 or 6 years nearer manhood. The French in general seem to be nettled at this affair, but, I think, those of them that have best sence are not so really for all their natural heat and Impatience, and the pride they take in the greatness of their Monarchy, they begin to see that these notions has impoverish'd and enslaved Them; and the Treaty of Ryswick has a good deal instructed them, and their own affairs at home convinced them, that they have grasped at more than they could secure, and that neither their King nor they are the better for the expence of fortifying and keeping garisons 8 years together in 30 towns which they have been obliged to give back in the ninth : the Monarch himself is old, and, I think, has a good mind to be quiett, to say the truth o'nt, he is quite cowed by King William, and since the taking of Namur he has as fairly wheeled and run as ever any Cock did in a pitt; with this, the people are farr enough from being in an estate of beginning a new Warr, for they still feel the weight of That which is past very sensibly lying upon them, wch is so evident, that as yet they are not in a condition of redressing their Mony to it's intrinsique value, and by consequence cannot open a Commerce upon a good foott wth their neighbours; so that I hope We may have Peace in our time. The Succession of Spain is mostly our King's contrivance and effecting: some faults he has. or else he would not be a Man: as to his Character of a Prince he has carryed his reputation to a prodigious height, and this affair must be allowed to be a proff (sic) of it beyond denial: The Emperour is a good deal angry at us, but he can do us no harm, god knows; the Dutch Ambassad' assures me that the Truce between his Imperial Majty and the Turk was concluded the 28th of Nov for 25 years; this will reconcile the Emperour to us again and is a new Epoche in the King's honour, and a great advantage to our reputation at Constantinople. Poor King James is hardly thought on or mentioned, an Italian and a Scotch Priest govern him and his whole concerns, he is so directly the same Man he ever was, persecuting the few Protestants about Him, tho' they are ruined and banished for their adhering to him, and rewarding and encouraging any sorry Creature that He can make a Convert of, the Child they Call the Prince of Wales they breed up with all the abhorrence imaginable to Heresy. I should wrong your Lordsp's goodness to Me if I did nott tell you the State of my own private affairs; I have played the Minister here in my Lord Jersey's absence, and now he is returned we are preparing for his Entry, so I am to appear with him as I did with my Lord Portland,' in a new gaudy coat 20 6 Compare a letter of Prior's to Halifax (Paris 30 Aug. 1698) in Ellis's Letters of Eminent Literary Men (Camd. Soc.), p. 265. "I faced old James and all his Court the other day at St. Cloud: vive Guillaume. You never saw such a strange figure as the old bully is, lean, worn, and riv'led." 7 "On the 27th of February [1698], he [the E. of Portland] made his public entry with such ex |