Dr. JOHNSON endeavours to imagine what were the feelings and reflections of Milton during the composition of Paradise Lost. His conceptions and language on this subject we have often admired:-"Fancy," says he, "can hardly forbear to conjecture with what temper Milton surveyed the silent progress of his work, and marked its reputation stealing its way in a kind of subterraneous current through fear and silence. I cannot but conceive him calm and confident, little disappointed, not at all dejected, relying on his own merit with steady consciousness, and waiting without impatience the vicissitudes of opinion, and the impartiality of a future generation."

When Marvell arrived in Paris, on his return to England, he had an opportunity of exercising his wit on one Lancelot Joseph de Maniban, a whimsical Abbé, who pretended to enter into the qualities of those he had never seen, and to foretell their good or bad fortune by their hand-writing. This ridiculous prognosticator

*

• D'ISRAELI, in his “ Curiosities of Literature, Second Series," has two interesting chapters on Autographs and Hand-writing, from which we give | the following extract:

"The art of judging of the characters of persons by their writing can only have any reality when the pen, acting without constraint, may become an instrument guided by, and indicative of, the natural dispositions. But regu lated, as the pen is now too often, by a mechanical process, which the present race of writing-masters seem to have contrived for their own convenience, a whole school exhibits a similar hand-writing. The pupils are forced, in their automatic motions, as if acted on by the pressure of a steam-engine. A bevy of beauties will now write such fac-similes of each other, that, in a heap of letters presented to the most sharp-sighted lover, to select that of his mistress -though like Bassanio among the caskets, his happiness should be risked on the choice he would despair of fixing on the right one, all appearing to have come from the same rolling press. Even brothers of different tempers have been taught by the same master to give the same form to their letters, the same regularity to their line, and have made our hand-writings as monotonous as are our characters in the present habits of society. The true phisiognomy of writing will be lost among our rising generation; it is no longer a face that we are looking on, but a beautiful mask of a single pattern; and the fashionable hand-writing of our young ladies is like the former tight-lacing of their mothers' youthful days, when every one alike had what was supposed] to be a fine shape!

The

"Assuredly, nature would prompt every individual to have a distinct sort of writing, as she has given a countenance, a voice, and a manner. flexibility of the muscles differs with every individual, and the hand will follow the direction of the thoughts, and the emotions, and the habits of the writers. The phlegmatic will pourtray his words, while the playful haste of

received a severe lashing from Marvell in a Poem written in Latin, and addressed to him.

After this we have no information respecting Marvell till the year 1652, a space of eleven years. To fill up this interval, some of his Biographers have sent him to Constantinople, and made him Secretary to an embassy, though during the Commonwealth it does not appear there was any minister in Turkey. It is probable the mistake has arisen from the fact of Marvell afterwards attending LORD CARLISLE in that capacity to Petersburgh.

When we consider the splendid talents possessed by Marvell, we have reason to lament that we know so little of him during this period, especially when we reflect on his active turn of mind, and the acuteness of his perception. His observations and reflections, on men and manners would have been inestimable.

It appears from the following letter, written at the commencement of the year 1652, by Milton to Bradshawe, on behalf of Marvell, that he was then an unsuc

the volatile will scarcely sketch them; the slovenly will blot, and efface, and scrawl; while the neat and orderly minded will view themselves in the paper before their eyes. The merchant's clerk will not write like the lawyer or the poet. Even nations are distinguished by their writing: the vivacity and variableness of the Frenchman, and the delicacy and suppleness of the Italian, are perceptibly distinct from the slowness and strength of the pen discoverable in the phlegmatic German, Dane, and Swede. When we are in grief, we do not write as we should in joy. The elegant and correct mind which has acquired the fortunate habit of a fixity of attention, will write with scarcely an erasure on the page, as FENELON, and GRAY, and GIBBON; while we find in Pork's manuscripts the perpetual struggles of correction, and the eager and rapid interlineations struck off in heat. LAVATER'S notion of hand-writing is by no means chimerical; nor was GENERAL PAOLI fanciful, when he told Mr. Northcote that he had decided on the character and disposition of a man from his letters and hand-writing.

"Long before the days of Lavater-SHENSTONE, in one of his letters, said I want to see Mrs. Jago's hand-writing, that I may judge of her temper.' One great truth must, however, be conceded to the opponents of the physi ognomy of writing; general rules only can be laid down. Yet the vital principal must be true, that the hand-writing bears an analogy to the charac ter of the writer, as all voluntary actions are characteristic of the individual. But many causes operate to counteract or obstruct this result.

“OLDYS, in one of his curious notes, was struck by the distinctness of character in the hand-writing of several of our kings."

cessful candidate for the office of Latin Secretary. But to this application of Milton he no doubt owed his subsequent introduction into that office. The letter is endorsed for "the Honourable the Lord Bradshawe:"

"MY LORD,

But that it would be an interruption to the public, wherein your studies are perpetually employed, I should now or then venture to supply this my enforced absence with a line or two, though it were onely my business, and that would be noe slight one, to make my due acknowledgments of your many favoures; which I both doe at this time, and ever shall; and have this farder, which I thought my parte to let you know of, that there will be with you to-morrow, upon some occasion of business, a gentleman whose name is Mr. Marvile; a man whom, both by report, and the converse I have had with him, of singular desert for the state to make use of; who alsoe offers himselfe, if there be any imployment for him. His father was the Minister of Hull; and he hath spent four years abroad, in Holland, France, Italy, and Spaine, to very good purpose, as I believe, and the gaineing of those four languages; besides, he is a scholler, and well read in the Latin and Greek authors; and no doubt of an approved conversation, for he comes now lately out of the house of the LORD FAIRFAX, who was Gene. rall, where he was intrusted to give some instructions in the Languages to the Lady his daughter. If upon the death of Mr. WECKHERLYN, the Councell shall think that I shall need any assistance in the performance of my place (though for my. part I find no encumbrances of that which belongs to me, except it be in point of attendance at Conferences with Ambas sadors, which I must confess, in my condition, I am not fit for), it would be hard for them to find a man soe fit every way for that purpose as this Gentleman; one who I believe, in a short time, would be able to doe them as much service as Mr. Ascan. This, my Lord, I write sincerely, without any other end than to perform my duety to the public, in helping them to an humble servant; laying aside those jealousies, and that emulation, which mine own condition might suggest to me, by bringing in such a coadjutor; and remaine, My Lord, Your most obliged, and faithful Servant, JOHN MILTON."

Feb. 21, 1652.

In 1653, Marvell was appointed by Cromwell to be tutor to his nephew, a Mr. DUTTON, as appears from the following Letter:

"MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCE,

It might, perhaps, seem fit for me to seek out words to give your Excellence thanks for myself. But, indeed, the only civility which it is proper for me to practice with so eminent a person, is to obey you, and to perform honestly the work that you have set me about. Therefore I shall use the time that your Lordship is pleased to allow me for writing, onely for: that purpose for which you have given me it; that is, to render you an account of Mr. Dutton. I have taken care to examine him several times in the presence of Mr. OXENBRIDGE;* as those who weigh and tell over money before some witnesse ere they take charge of it; for I thought that there might be possibly some lightness in the coyn, or errour in the telling, which hereafter I should be bound to make good. Therefore, Mr. Oxenbridge is the best to make your Excellency an impartial relation thereof: I shall only say, that I shall strive according to my best understanding (that is, according to those rules your Lordship hath given me) to increase whatsoever talent he may have already. Truly, he is of gentle and waxen disposition; and, God be praised, I cannot say he hath brought with him any evil impression; and I shall hope to set nothing into his spirit but what may be of a good sculpture. Ile hath in him two things that make youth most easy to be managed,—modesty, which is the bridle to vice; and emulation, which is the spur to virtue. And the care which your Excellence is pleased to take of him, is no small encouragement, and shall be so represented to him; but, above all, I shall labour to make him sensible of his duty to God; for then we begin to serve faithfully, when we consider he is our master. And in this, both he and I owe

JOHN OXENBRIDGE, M. A. was born at Daventry, in Northamptonshire, Jan. 30, 1608. He took his degree in 1631, and the following year began publicly to preach the gospel. After two voyages to the Bermudas he returned to England, and settled as pastor to a Church at Beverley, in Yorkshire, in 100-1. After his ejectment from Eton College, Dr. Calamy says, "he went to Berwick-upon-Tweed, where he resided till silenced by the Bartholomew Act. He then went to Surinam, in South America, and from thence, in 1867, to Barbadoes. In 1889, he went to New England, where he succeeded Mr. Davenport, as pastor in the first Church at Boston, and there he died suddenly, December 28, 1674, being seized with apoplexy towards the close of a Sermon, which he was preaching at the Boston Lecture."

infinitely to your Lordship, for having placed us in so godly a family as that of Mr. Oxenbridge, whose doctrine and example are like a book and a map, not only instructing the ear, but demonstrating to the eye, which way we ought to travell; and Mrs. Oxenbridge has looked so well to him, that he hath already much mended his complexion; and now she is ordering his chamber, that he may delight to be in it as often as his studys require. For the rest, most of this time hath been spent in acquainting ourselves with him; and truly he is chearfull, and I hope thinks us to be good company. I shall, upon occasion, henceforward inform your Excellence of any particularities in our little affairs, for so I esteem it to be my duty. I have no more at present, but to give thanks to God for your Lordship, and to beg grace of him, that I may approve myself, Your Excellency's

Most humble and faithful Servant,

Windsor, July 28th, 1653.

"Mr. Dutton presents his most humble service to your Excellence."

ANDREW MARVELL.”

It appears, that when Milton's "Second Defence" was published, it was presented to the Protector by Marvell, whose Letter to Milton we here insert:

"HONOURED SIR,

I did not satisfy myself in the account I gave you of presenting your book to my Lord; although it seemed to me that I wrote to you all which the messenger's speedy return the same night would permit me: and I perceive that, by reason of that haste, I did not give you satisfaction, neither concerning the delivery of your letter at the same time. Be pleased, there fore, to pardon me, and know that I tendered them both toge ther. But my Lord read not the letter while I was with him; which I attributed to our dispatch, and some other business tending thereto, which I therefore, wished ill to, so far as it hindered an affair much better, and of greater importance-I mean that of reading your letter. And to tell you truly mine own imagination, I thought that he would not open it while I was there, because he might suspect that I, delivering it just upon my departure, might have brought in it some second pro