Tabula super Epistolas Cipriani. Cecilius Ciprianus ad Cornelium, de Confessione ep'la p'ma de revelatione capitis sancti Johannis Baptiste.' "In the first is plainly erased after Cornelian some word, perhaps fratrem, and so in the title of the Epistle in its proper place in the body of the book; I know not for what reason, since it is repeated in the Epistle itself, which begins, Yprianus Cornelio fratri salutem, cognovimus,' &c. the initial letter is omitted quite through; and I suppose the intent of it was that it might be added by the hand, and illuminated. The book is not paged, nor is there so much as the mark of the sheet, a, b, c, at the bottom, as is used now for the sake of the binders; but at the end of all is this sentence, unintelligible to me: 66 Loquitur lector ad vindelinum spirensem artificem qui M. CCCCLXXI.' Whether it should be Loquitor, and the meaning, an invitation to the reader to send for the book to Vindelinus's own shop, I know not; indeed I cannot tell what to make of it. This very different from what you shewed me at Margate. I doubt not but your candour and kindness in particular to me will overlook the many blots and blurs I have made in this epistle, which I have neither time or leisure to transcribe. Perhaps it may not be amiss to acquaint you that the gentlemen of this County are resolved to vindicate their just rights by petition in Parliament, against the incroachments of those many false votes given at the late Election in favour of Sir Miles Stapylton, and very probably at the importunity of his friends, notwithstanding their banner displayed Liberty and Property! No Excise!' I am your obliged nephew, WM. KNOWLER." WILLIAM LAUDER* to Dr. MEAD. "HONOURED SIR, Piccadilly, April 9, 1751. "As I have a very uncommon esteem for your judgment, learning, and probity; so it gives me infinite uneasiness to understand that I bave incurred your displeasure by my late offence. But allow me to assure your Honour (though I have not adventured to give this reason in my printed Letter addressed to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, as not being willing to be the Author of any public disturbance) that my offence proceeded from no design to impose upon the publick, as no one ever had a better cause than mine, even when stript of all adventitious assistance; but rather from a well-meaning zeal to undeceive mankind, in a very curious particular, relating to a book, concerning the true From the autogragh communicated by the Rev. Dr. Lort; by whom it is thus indorsed: Original Letter of William Lauder, 1751. His Recantation to Dr. Mead."-Inclosed in the Letter was Lauder's original receipt of 2s. 6d. from Dr.Mead, for the first subscription. See several particulars of Lauder in the passages referred to in the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. VII. p. 222, 612. Author Author, wherof much noise has been made in the world, by disclosing a master-piece of fraud and forgery committed by Milton against the memory of King Charles the First, which very few persons seem to be acquainted with. "The story is as follows, and is extremely well vouched : "We are credibly informed by the Rev. Mr. Birch (in his Appendix to the Life of Milton,' prefixed to a late Edition of that Author's Political Works) that Milton, in order to blast the reputation of King Charles the First, the undoubted Author of a book entitled, Eikon Basilike,' stole a prayer out of Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia, and obliged the Printer of the King's book, under severe penalties and threatenings, to subjoin it to his Majesty's performance, and then made a hideous outcry against his own action, as committed by the King, merely to create a jealousy, as was observed just now, that, if his Majesty was not the Author of the prayers in that Treatise, he was far less the Author of the Treatise itself; which thing is believed by thousands to this day, solely on the credit of Milton's affirmation, when he was the architect of the imposture himself! "As Milton therefore has acquired immense reputation by publising a Poem, in composing whereof he derived great assistance from the writings of others; and as the King has been denied the credit he had a just title to from a work he seems to have composed without any assistance from others; so I imagined I could not either requite Milton's action against the King more properly, or give people a juster idea of the nature of it, than by transcribing his worthy pattern, that mankind might see the odiousness of that action in Milton, which they were so forward to condemn in me; which they would never have been so sensible of, had not I acted so by him, as it is natural for people to be more affected where they are interested themselves, than where they are not concerned, and with present things more than with things long since past, and out of their reach. "Now, if Milton's forgery against the King, a character in dignity far superior to his own, should pass uncensured, and be reputed devoid of malignity, as it seems to be amongst his admirers (Milton being reckoned a man of a fair character), why should the same action be deemed so criminal in me? And if it is culpable in me, as all the world has judged, and as I admit, it is also equally culpable in Milton, or more so, as he was the first trangressor; and as I only acted by Milton, in retaliation of his having acted so by the King; the fairness of which procedure against Milton (though I pretend not thereby quite to exculpate myself) is sufficiently justified by the approved maxim of the poet: 'Sua quisque exempla debet æquo animo pati.' "I declare therefore sincerely that had not Milton acted so by the King, as I am convinced in my conscience he did, and for which we have indisputable evidence given us, I would have submitted to any punishment sooner than either have offered such violence to truth, put such an imposition on the publick, or at'tempted to blast Milton's reputation by a falsehood. "On "On this topick I was at first resolved to defend myself, had I not been advised to the contrary, as it was easy to foresee the disturbance such a method might be apt to produce betwixt the admirers and enemies of the English poet, both which your honour well knows are very numerous in this kingdom; to prevent which I chose rather to derive the whole blame upon myself, than by disclosing Milton's forgery against the King, become the author of any public disturbance, by sowing the seeds of jealousy betwixt, or administering fuel to inflame the animosity of contending parties. "As for the interpolations, whereby not above twenty or thirty lines at most of Milton were affected, notwithstanding the hideous outcry that has been raised against me on account of them, greater perhaps than if I had denied or ridiculed the doctrine of the Trinity, I hope I have it in my power to replace them twenty-fold, which I am resolved shortly to do, to the conviction, I trust, of all persons of judgment, candour, and learning; for some persons there are in the world whom I know it is impossible to convince. "As my offence, therefore, is attended with such favourable circumstances, and appears plainly to have been occasioned rather from an honest, though it may be an imprudent zeal to disabuse mankind with regard to their ignorance of a curious particular in History, as also to vindicate the character of a much injured Prince with relation to private property, and assert his title to a performance, which by an unfair contrivance of Milton has been hitherto by thousands adjudged to another, than from any malicious or sinistrous design of imposing on the publick in general; so I hope your honour's usual candour and goodness will pardon my offence, and honour me once more with your favour and patronage, which, God willing, I shall take care never to forfeit again by any miscarriage whatever. "I am, with great respect and esteem, honoured Sir, your most obedient, most obliged, and most humble servant, WM. LAUDER. 'Beati Misericordes! Quoniam,' &c." *** The original Proposals for this fraudulent attempt of LAUDER being now a literary curiosity, a copy of them is given : "Proposals for printing, by subscription, Hugonis Grotii Adamus Exsul, Tragoedia;' with an English Version, and the lines imitated from it by Milton subjoined to the pages. By William Lauder, Å. M. "I. The paper is to be the same with that of these Proposals, and the print the same with the Specimen annexed. "II. Each Subscriber is to pay 5s. one half at the time of subscribing, and the other on the delivery of the book in sheets. "III. The work shall be printed off with all convenient speed. Subscriptions are taken in by Mr. Davidson, in the Poultry; Mr. Vaillant, in the Strand; Mr. Cave, at St. John's Gate; and by the Editor. "It is now more than half a century since the 'Paradise Lost,' having broke through the cloud with which the unpopularity of its author for a time obscured it, has attracted the general admiration of mankind, who have endeavoured to compensate the error of their first neglect by lavish praises and boundless veneration. There seems to have arisen a contest among men of genius and literature, who should most advance its honour, or best distinguish its beauties. Some have revised Editions, others have published Commentaries, and all have endeavoured to make their particular studies in some degree subservient to this general emulation. "Among the inquiries to which this ardour of criticism has naturally given occasion, none is more obscure in itself, or more worthy of rational curiosity, than a retrospection of the progress of this mighty genius in the construction of his work, a view of the fabric gradually rising, perhaps from small beginnings, till its foundation rests in the centre, and its turrets sparkle in the skies; to trace back the structure through all its varieties to the simplicity of its first plan, to find what was first projected, whence the scheme was taken, how it was improved, by what assistance it was executed, and from what stores the materials were collected; whether its founder dug them from the quarries of nature, or demolished other buildings to embellish his own. "This inquiry has been indeed not wholly neglected, nor perhaps prosecuted with the care and diligence that it deserves. Several critics have offered their conjectures, but none have much endeavoured to enforce or ascertain them. Mr. Voltaire tells us, without proof, that the first hint of Paradise Lost' was taken from a farce called Adamo,' written by a player; Dr. Pearce, that it was derived from an Italian tragedy called 'Il Paradiso perso; and Mr. Peck, that it was borrowed from a wild Romance. Any of these conjectures may possibly be true; but, as they stand without sufficient proof, it must be granted likewise, that they may all possibly be false, at least they cannot preclude any other opinion, which, without argument, has the same claim to credit, and may perhaps be shewn by resistless evidence to be better founded. "It is related, by steady and uncontroverted tradition, that the Paradise Lost' was at first a tragedy, and therefore amongst tragedies the first hint is properly to be sought. In a manuscript published from Milton's own hand, among a great number of subjects for tragedy, is Adam Unparadised,' or 'Adam in Exile;' and this therefore may be justly supposed the embryo of this great poem. As it is observable that all these subjects had been created by others, the manuscript can be supposed nothing more than a memorial or catalogue of plays, which, for some reason, the writer thought worthy of attention. When therefore I had observed that Adam in Exile' was among them, I doubted not but, in finding the original of that tragedy, I should disclose the genuine source of Paradise Lost. Nor was my expectation dis appointed appointed; for, having procured the Adumus Exsul' of Grotius, I found, or imagined myself to find, the first draught, the prima stamina of this wonderful poem. And, as I cannot doubt but the discovery will give the same pleasure to others as to me, I hope the publick will favour this attempt, since the orignal is so scarce, that Gronovius, with all the influence that his learning gives him, was not able to procure me a printed copy, the version that will be added is new and elegant, and the question which this publication tends to illustrate, is, in the highest degree, worthy of general regard." "GOOD SIR, Rev. BR. FAUSSETT* to EBENEZER MUSSELL, Esq. Heppington, March 25, 1763. "In return for the favours and civilities I received at Bethnal Green, I have taken the liberty to beg your acceptance of a Fibula Vestiaria, and some beads, all dug up by myself, about a year ago, at Ash in this County. If you think they deserve a place in your very valuable and curious Collection of Antiquities, I shall think myself happy; as, indeed, I shall ever do, if, in consequence of my future searches, I shall be enabled to contribute any thing else worthy of your notice. "The only merit these Remains pretend to, is, there being undoubtedly Roman, and truly genuine; which circumstances, however, make me prefer them to every thing else in my otherwise trifling collection; and, indeed, even these I can hardly look upon with pleasure, since I saw your inestimable Museum. "I have also presumed to throw my mite into your Dactylotheca. It is a ring with a small head of the Old Pretender; it is reckoned to be very like, and well done; it has been many years in my family. A little picture of Charles II. which, I suppose, was also formerly set in a ring, bears it company; as also a coin which I look upon to be very curious, and fell into my hands but yesterday. It is an halfpenny of the old gentleman above, mentioned, struck in the year 1719, a year before the death of James II. It was found in the pocket of one of the rebels who fell at the battle of Culloden. See the third volume of these "Illustrations," p. 556. + Mr. Mussell was a skilful collector of books and other curiosities. He was in 1721 a considerable purchaser at the sale of John Kemp's famous Museum of Antiquities; and added largely to his collection from the sales of the Earl of Oxford and Dr. Mead. He resided near Aldgate, and had also a house on Bethnal Green. On the demolition of the old City Gates, having purchased the materials of Aldgate, he removed them to his residence at Bethnal Green, and placed them in the front of a building adjacent to his own house, where they still remain; and a good engraving of them, as they now stand, was given by Mr. Malcolm in bis "Views round London Mr. Mussell was elected F. S. A. in 1760; and married, Sept. 9, 1761, Mrs. Sarah Scriven, of Canterbury. I know not the exact time of his death; but his "Curiosities" were sold in 1765, and his Library in a marked Catalogue, by Mr. Robson, in 1782. simplicity |