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LITTELL'S LIVING AGE.-No. 268.-7 JULY, 1849.

From Sharpe's Magazine.

THE MAIDEN AND MARRIED LIFE OF MARY

POWELL,

AFTERWARDS MISTRESS MILTON.

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JOURNALL.

above. Such, and no more, is Rose's house! But she is happy, for she came running forthe, soe soone as she hearde Clover's feet, and helped me from my saddle all smiling, tho' she had not expected to see us. We had curds and creame: and she wished it were the time of strawberries. Forest Hill, Oxon. May 1st, 1643. for she sayd they had large beds; and then my SEVENTEENTH birth-daye. A gyp-father and ye boys went forthe to looke for Master Agnew. Then Rose took me up to her chamber, singing as she went; and y long, low room was sweet with flowers. Sayd I, Rose, to be mistress of this pretty cottage, 't were hardlie amisse to marry a man as olde as Master Roger."

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deeme him olde; why, he is but forty-two; and am not I twenty-three?" She lookt soe earneste and hurte, that I coulde not but falle a laughing.

sie woman at y° gate woulde faine have tolde my fortune; but mother chased her away, saying she had doubtlesse harboured in some of y' low houses in Oxford, and mighte bring us y plague. Coulde have cried for vexation; she had promised to tell me y colour of my husband's eyes; but mother" Olde!" quoth she, "deare Moll, you must not says she believes I shall never have one, I am soe sillie. Father gave me a gold piece. Dear mother is chafed, methinks, touching this debt of five hundred pounds, which father says he knows not how to pay. Indeed, he sayd, overnighte, his whole personal estate amounts to but five hundred pounds, his timber and wood to four hundred more, or thereabouts; and the tithes and messuages of Whateley are no great matter, being mortgaged for about as much moore, and he hath lent sights of money to them that won't pay, so 't is hard to be thus prest. Poor father! 't was good of him

to give me this gold piece.

May 2nd.-Cousin Rose married to Master Roger Agnew. Present, father, mother, and brother of Rose. Father, mother, Dick, Bob, Harry, and I; Squire Paice and his daughter Audrey; an olde aunt of Master Roger's, and one of his cousins, a stiffe-backed man with large eares, and such a long nose! Cousin Rose looked bewtifulle-pitie so faire a girl s marry so olde a man 't is thoughte he wants not manie years of fifty.

7th.-New misfortunes in ye poultrie yarde. Poor mother's loyalty cannot stand yo demands for her best chickens, ducklings, &c., for yo use of his M''s officers since the king hath beene in Oxford. She accuseth my father of having beene wonne over by a few faire speeches to be more of a royalist than his natural temper inclineth him to; which, of course, he will not admit.

8th.-Whole day taken up on a visit to Rose, now a week married, and growne quite matronlie already. We reached Sheepscote about an hour before noone. A long, broade, strait walke of green turf, planted with hollyoaks, sunflowers, etc., and some earlier flowers alreadie in bloom, led up to y rusticall porch of a truly farm-like house, with low gable roofs, a long lattice window on either side y doore, and three casements LIVING AGE. VOL. XXII.

CCLXVIII.

1

8th.-Mother gone to Sandford. She hopes to get uncle John to lend father this money. Father says she may try. "T is harde to discourage her with an ironicalle smile, when she is doing alle she can, and more than manie women woulde, to help father in his difficultie; but suche, she sayth somewhat bitterlie, is the lot of our sex. She bade father mind that she had brought him three thousand pounds, and askt what had come of them. Answered; helped to fille y mouths of nine healthy children, and stop y mouth of an easie husband; soe, with a kiss, made it up. I have y keys, and am left mistresse of alle, to my greate contentment; but y children clamour for sweetmeats, and father sayth, remember, Moll, discretion is ye better part of valour."

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After mother had left, went into y° paddock, to feed y colts with bread; and while they were putting their noses into Robin's pockets, Dick brought out y two ponies, and set me on one of them, and we had a mad scamper through ye meadows and down y lanes; I leading. Just at y turne of Holford's close, came shorte upon a gentleman walking under y hedge, clad in a sober, genteel suit, and of most beautifulle countenance, with hair like a woman's, of a lovely pale brown, long and silky, falling over his shoulders. I nearlie went over him, for Clover's hard forehead knocked agaynst his chest; but he stoode it like a rock; and lookinge firste at me and then at Dick, he smiled and spoke to my brother, who seemed to know him, and turned about and walked by us, sometimes stroaking Clover's shaggy mane. I felte a little ashamed; for Dick had sett me on y poney just as I was, my gown somewhat too shorte for riding: however, I drewe up my feet and let Clover nibble a little grasse, and then got rounde to ye neare side, our new companion stille between us. He offered me some wild flowers,

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and askt me theire names; and when I tolde greate pleasure, when you came. After we have them, he sayd I knew more than he did, though eaten y junkett, he shall beginne it again." he accounted himselfe a prettie fayre botaniste : By no means," said I, "for I love talking more and we went on thus, talking of y herbs and than reading.' However, it was not soe to be, simples in y hedges, and I sayd how prettie for Rose would not be foyled; and as it woulde some of theire names were, and that methought, not have been good manners to decline y hearthough Adam had named alle y animals in Para- inge in presence of y poet, I was constrayned to dise, perhaps Eve had named alle y flowers. He suppresse a secret yawne and feign attention, lookt earnestlie at me, on this, and muttered though, truth to say, it soone wandered; and, "prettie." Then Dick askt of him news from during y last halfe hour, I sat in a compleat London, and he spoke, methought, reservedlie; dreame, tho' not unpleasant one. Roger having ever and anon turning his bright, thoughtfulle made an end, 't was diverting to heare him comeyes on me. At length, we parted at y turn of mending y piece unto y author, who as gravely y lane. accepted it; yet, with nothing fullesome about the one, or misproud about ye other. Indeed, there was a sedate sweetnesse in y poet's wordes as well as lookes; and shortlie, waiving y discussion of his owne composures, he beganne to talke of those of other men, as Shakspeare, Spenser, Cowley, Ben Jonson, and of Tasso, and Tasso's friend the Marquis of Villa, whome, it appeared, Mr. Milton had knowledge of in Italy. Then he askt me, woulde I not willingly have seene y country of Romeo and Juliet, and prest to know whether I loved poetry; but finding me loath to tell, sayd be doubted not I preferred romances, and that he had read manie, and loved them dearly too. I sayd, I 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, I feared to shew him I was a sillie foole; soe, like a sillie foole, held my tongue.

I askt Dick who he was, and he told me he was one Mr. John Milton, y party to whom father owed five hundred pounds. He was y sonne of a Buckinghamshire gentleman, he added, well connected, and very scholarlike, but affected towards y Parliament. His grandsire, a zealous papiste, formerly lived in Oxon, and disinherited y father of this gentleman for abjuring y Romish faith.

When I found how faire a gentleman was father's creditor, I became y more interested in deare mother's successe.

May 13th.--Dick began to harpe on another ride to Sheepscote this morning, and persuaded father to let him have y bay mare, soe he and I started at aboute ten o' the clock. Arrived at Master Agnew's doore, found it open, no one in parlour or studdy; soe Dick tooke ye horses rounde, and then we went straite thro' y house, into y garden behind, which is on a rising ground, with pleached alleys and turfen walks, and a peep of ye church through y trees. A lad tolde us his mistress was with the bees, soe we walked towards ye hives; and, from an arbour hard by, hearde a murmur, tho' not of bees, issuing. In this rusticall bowre, found Roger Agnew reading to Rose and to Mr. Milton. Thereupon ensued manie cheerfulle salutations, and Rose proposed returning to ye house, but Master Agnew sayd it was pleasanter in the bowre, where was room for alle; soe then Rose offered to take me to her chamber to lay aside my hoode, and promised to send a junkett into y arbour; whereon Mr. Agnew smiled at Mr. Milton, and sayd somewhat of "neat-handed Phillis."

He

Dinner; eggs, bacon, roast ribs of lamb, spinach, potatoes, savory pie, a Brentford pudding, and cheesecakes. What a pretty housewife Rose is! Roger's plain hospitalitie and scholarlie discourse appeared to much advantage. He askt of news from Paris; and Mr. Milton spoke much of y Swedish ambassadour, Dutch by birth; a man renowned for his learning, magnanimity, and misfortunes, of whome he had seene much. 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 captivitie and had tried to get his sentence reversed; failing which, she contrived his escape in a big chest which she pretended to be full of heavie olde bookes. Mr. Milton concluded with the exAs we went alonge, I tolde Rose I had seene clamation, " Indeede, there never was such a woher guest once before, and thought him a comely man;" on which, deare Roger, whome I beginne pleasant gentleman. She laught, and sayd, to love, quoth, “Oh yes, there are manie such— "Pleasant? why, he is one of y greatest schol- we have two at table now." Whereat, Mr. Milars of our time, and knows more languages than ton smiled.

you or I ever hearde of." I made answer, At leave-taking pressed Mr. Agnew and Rose "That may be, and yet might not ensure his to come and see us soone; and Dick askt Mr. being pleasant, but rather yo contrary, for I can- Milton to see y' bowling greene. not reade Greeke and Latin, Rose, like you." Ride home, delightfulle. Quoth Rose," But you can reade English, and he hath writ some of ye loveliest English verses you ever hearde, and hath brought us a new composure this morning, which, Roger, being his olde college friend, was discussing with him, to my

14th.—Thought, when I woke this morning, I had been dreaminge of St Paul let down y wall in a basket; but founde, on more closely examining the matter, 't was Grotius carried down y

ladder in a chest; and methought I was his wife, | and Mr. Milton sayd, "Hearken!" and then, leaninge from ye window above, and crying to ye "There is some one being slaine in y woode, I

souldiers, "Have a care, have a care!" 'Tis certayn I shoulde have betraied him by an overanxietie.

must goe to rescue him ;" and soe, drewe his sword and ran off. Meanwhile, y cries continued, but I did not seeme to mind them much; and, Resolved to give father a Sheepscote dinner, looking stedfastlie downe into y cleare water, but Margery affirmed ye haunch woulde no longer coulde see to an immeasurable depth, and beheld, keepe, so was forced to have it dressed, though oh, rare!-girls sitting on glistening rocks, far meaning to have kept it for companie. Little downe beneathe, combing and braiding their Kate, who had been out alle y morning, came in brighte hair, and talking and laughing, onlie I with her lap full of butter-burs, the which I was coulde not heare aboute what. And theire kirtles glad to see, as mother esteemes them a sovereign were like spun glass, and theire bracelets, coral and remedie 'gainst yo plague, which is like to be rife pearl, and I thought it the fairest sight that eyes in Oxford this summer, the citie being so over- coulde see. But, alle at once, the cries in y crowded on account of his M'. While laying wood affrighted them, for they started, looked them out on y stille-room floor, in bursts Robin to upwards and alle aboute, and began swimming say Mr. Agnew and Mr. Milton were with father thro' y cleare water so fast, that it became at y bowling greene, and woulde dine here. Soe troubled and thick, and I coulde see them noe was glad Margery had put down ye haunch. more. Then I was aware that ye voices in the 'T was past one o' the clock, however, before it wood were of Dick and Harry, calling for me; coulde be sett on table; and I had just run up and I soughte to answer, "Here!" but my tongue to pin on my carnation knots, when I hearde them was heavie. Then I commenced running toalle come in discoursing merrilie. wards them, through ever so manie greene paths,

and I began to see grinning faces, neither of man nor beaste, peeping at me through y trees; and one and another of them called me by name, and in greate feare and paine I awoke !

hithertoe!

Dear

At dinner Mr. Milton askt Robin of his stud-in ye wood; but stille, we coulde never meet; dies; and I was in payne for yo deare boy, knowing him to be better affected to his out-doore recreations than to his booke; but he answered boldlie he was in Ovid, and I lookt in Mr. Milton's face to guesse was that goode scholarship or no; but he Strange things are dreames. turned it towards my father, and sayd he was mother thinks much of them, and sayth they oft trying an experiment on two young nephews of portend coming events. My father holdeth y his owne, whether y reading those authors that opinion that they are rather made up of what hath treate of physical subjects mighte not advantage alreadie come to passe; but surely naught like them more than ye poets; whereat my father this dreame of mine hath in anie part befallen me jested with him, he being himselfe one of the fraternitie he seemed to despise. But he uphelde What strange fable or masque were they his argumente so bravelie, that father listened in reading that day at Sheepscote? I mind not. earneste silence. Meantime, the cloth being drawne, and I in feare of remaining over long, 20th. Too much busied of late, to write, was avised to withdrawe myselfe earlie, Robin though much hath happened which I woulde fain following, and begging me to goe downe to y remember. Dined at Shotover yesterday. Met fish-ponds. Afterwards alle y others joyned us, mother, who is coming home in a day or two, but and we sate on ye steps till the sun went down, helde short speech with me aside concerning when, the horses being broughte round, our guests housewifery. The Agnews there, of course; tooke leave without returning to ye house. Fa- alsoe Mr. Milton, whom we have seene continualther walked thoughtfullie home with me, leaning|lie, lately; and I know not how it shoulde be, but on my shoulder, and spake little. he seemeth to like me. Father affects him much, but mother loveth him not. She hath seene little of him; perhaps the less the better. Ralph Hewlett, as usuall, forward in his rough endeavors to please; but, though no scholar, I have yet sense enough to prefer Mr. Milton's discourse to his. * I wish I were fonder of studdy; but, since it cannot be, what need to vex? Some are born of one mind, some of another. Rose was alwaies for her booke; and, had Rose beene no scholar, Mr. Agnew woulde, may be, never have given her a second thoughte; but alle are not of y same way of thinking.

*

15th. After writing y above last night, in my chamber, went to bed and had a most heavenlie dreame. Methoughte it was brighte, brighte moonlighte, and I was walking with Mr. Milton on a terrace-not our terrace, but in some outlandish place; and it had flights and flights of green marble steps, descending, I cannot tell how farre, with stone figures and vases on everie one. We went downe and downe these steps, till we came to a faire piece of water, still in ye moonlighte; and then, methoughte, he woulde be taking leave, and sayd much aboute absence and sorrowe, as tho' we had knowne eache other some space; A few lines received from mother's and alle that he sayd was delightfulle to heare. "spoilt boy," as father hath called brother Bill, Of a suddain we hearde cries, as of distresse, in a ever since he went a soldiering. Blurred and wood that came quite down to ye water's edge, mis-spelt as they are, she will prize them. Trulie,

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