have put down Ben Johnson; and yet neither the boy or Fenner so good poets. No; it is neither of those either makes or condemns a poet; it is new-born and creating phansies that glorifies a poet; and in her book of poems, I am sure there is excellent and new phancies, as have not been writ by any, and that it was onely writ by her, is the greatest truth in the world.

"Now, for her book called the WORLD'S OLIO, say some-how is it possible that she should have such experience to write of such things so? I answer, that I, living long in the great world, and having the various fortunes of what they call good and bad; certainly, the reading of men might bring me to as much experience as the reading of books; and this I have now and then discourst unto this lady, who hath wisely and elegantly drest it in her own way, and sumptuously cloathed it, at the charge of her own phancies and expressions. I say, some of them she hath heard from me; but not the fortieth part of her book; all the rest are absolutely her own in all kindes: this is an inge nious truth, therefore beleeve it.

"As for the book of her PHILOSOPHICAL OPINIONS; there is not any one thing in the whole book that is not absolutely spun out by her own studious phancy; and if you will lay by a little passion against writers, you will like it, and the best of any thing she has writ; therefore read it once or twice, not with malice to finde a little fault, but with judgement to like what is good.

"Truly I cannot beleeve so unworthily of any scho.

lar, (honouring them so much as we both do,) that they should envie this ladye; or should have so much malice or emulation, to cast such false aspersions on her, that she did not write those books that go forth in her name. They will hardly finde out who else writ them; and I protest, none ever writ them but herself. Here's the crime: a lady writes them; and to intrench so much upon the male prerogative, is not to be forgiven but I know gown-men will be more civil to her, because she is of the gown too. I had not troubled you with this, but that a learned doctor, our very noble friend, writ us word of the infidelity of some people in this kinde. Whatsoever I have writ is absolutely truth; which I here (as a man of honour) set my hand to.

"W. NEWCASTLE."

The Harl. MS. 6988, contains a letter from the duke to his pupil prince Charles.

In 1642, was printed at York, and reprinted at Oxford,

"An Answer of the Right Honourable the Earle of Newcastle, his Excellency, &c. to the six groundlesse Aspersions cast upon him by the Lord Fairfax, in his late Warrant bearing date Feb. 2, 1642.”

This gallant vindication of the royalists thus concludes:

"The lord Fairefax requires all parties to appeare; and I command them all, upon their allegiance, to stay at home. They may perhaps come thither without danger, but the difficulty will be to get safe back againe; sed revocare gradum, hic labor hoc opus est.

It were a more conscionable and discreet part of them, to repaire all as one unanimous body to their sovereign's standard, and drive out those incendiaries from among them, who have beene the true authors of all the pressing grievances and miseries of this county.

"Withall, his lordship talks of driving me and mine army out of the country. He knowes this cannot be done without a meeting. If it be not a flourish, but a true sparke of undissembled gallantry, he may doe well to expresse himselfe more particularly for time and place. This is more conformable to the examples of our heroicke ancestors, who used not to spend their time in scratching one another out of holes, but in pitched fields determined their doubts. This would quickly set a period to the sufferings of the people, unlesse he desire rather to prolong those miserable distractions, which were begun with breach of promise. It were pitty if his desires leade him this way, but he should be satisfied: and let the God of hattels determine the right of our English lawes and liberties."]