that he died at two o'clock, and she said, "I wish you to have had no disturbance, for 'tis the custom of the place, that, when any of the family are dying, the shape of a woman appears in the window every night till they be dead. This woman was many ages ago got with child by the owner of this place, who murdered her in his garden, and flung her into the river under the window, but truly I thought not of it when I lodged you here, it being the best room in the house." We made little reply to her speech, but disposed ourselves to be gone suddenly.

SIR,

JAMES HOWELL

A FAMILIAR LETTER

IR,-I saw such prodigious things daily done these few years, that I had resolved with myself to give over wondering at any thing, yet a passage happened this week that forced me to wonder once more, because it is without parallel. It was, that some odd fellows went skulking up and down London streets, and with figs and raisins allured little children, and so purloined them away from their parents, and carried them a ship-board to transport them beyond sea, where, by cutting their hair, and other devices, they so disguise them that their parents could not know them. This made me think upon that miraculous passage in Hamelin, a town in Germany, which I hoped to have passed through when I was in Hamburg, had we returned by Holland; which was thus (nor would I relate it unto you were there not some ground of truth for it). The said town of Hamelin was annoyed with rats and mice; and it chanced, that a pied-coated piper came thither, who covenanted with the chief burghers for such a reward, if he could free them quite from the said vermin, nor would he demand it till a twelve month and a day after. The agreement being made, he began to play on his pipes, and all the rats and the mice followed him to a great loch hard by, where they all perished, so the town was infested no more.

At the end of the year, the pied piper returned for his reward, the burghers put him off with slightings and neglects, offering him some small matter; which he refusing, and staying some days in the town, on Sunday morning at High Mass when most people were at church; he fell to play on his pipes, and all the children up and down followed him out of the town, to a great hill not far off, which rent in two, and opened, and let him and the children in, and so closed up again. This happened a matter of about 250 years since; and in that town, they date their bills and bonds, and other instruments in law, to this day, from the year of the going out of their children: besides, there is a great pillar of stone at the foot of the said hill, whereon the story is engraven.

No more now, for this is enough in conscience for one time. So, I am, your most affectionate servitor.

FLEET (PRISON), October 1, 1643.

J. H.

WILLIAM LITHGOW

TRAVELS

THU 'HUS lay I six hours upon the rack, between four o'clock afternoon, and ten o'clock at night, having had inflicted upon me three score seven torments. Nevertheless they continued me a large half hour (after all my tortures) at the full bending; where my body being all begored with blood, and cut through in every part to the crushed and bruised bones, I pitifully remained, still roaring, howling, foaming, bellowing, and gnashing my teeth, with insupportable cries, before the pins were undone, and my body loosed.

True it is, it passeth the capacity of man, either sensibly to conceive, or I patiently to express the intolerable anxiety of mind and affliction of body in that dreadful time I sustained.

At last my head being by their arms advanced, and my body taken from the rack, the water regushed abundantly from my mouth; then they reclothing my broken, bloody, and

your poor child: thy mournings cannot avail me, I am but dust.

:

Thirdly, you shall understand, that my land was conveyed (bona fide) to my child; the writings were drawn at midsummer was twelve months; my honest cousin Brett can testify so much, and Dalberie, too, can remember somewhat therein and I trust my blood will quench their malice that have thus cruelly murdered me; and that they will not seek also to kill thee and thine with extreme poverty. To what friend to direct thee I know not, for all mine have left me in the true time of trial: and I plainly perceive that my death. was determined from the first day. Most sorry I am, God knows, that being thus surprized with death, I can leave you in no better estate; God is my witness I meant you all my office of wines, or all that I could have purchased by selling it; half my stuff and all my jewels, but some one for the boy; but God hath prevented all my resolutions, even that great God that ruleth all in all: but if you can live free from want, care for no more, the rest is but vanity; love God, and begin betimes to repose yourself on him; and therein shall you find true and lasting riches and endless comfort. For the rest, when you have travelled and wearied your thoughts over all sorts of worldly cogitation, you shall but sit down by sorrow in the end. Teach your son also to love and fear God, whilst he is yet young, that the fear of God may grow up with him; and then God will be a husband to you, and a Father to him; a husband and a father which cannot be taken from you. Bayly oweth me a hundred pounds, and Adrian Gilbert six hundred pounds. In Jersey also I have much money owing me; besides, the arrearages of the Wines will pay my debts; and howsoever you do, for my soul's sake pay all poor men. When I am gone, no doubt you shall be sought to by many, for the world thinks that I was very rich: but take heed of the pretences of men, and their affections; for they last not, but in honest and worthy men, and no greater misery can befall you in this life, than to become a prey, and after wards to be despised. I speak not this (God knows) to

dissuade you from marriage; for it will be best for you, both in respect of the world and of God. As for me I am no more yours, nor you mine; Death has cut us asunder; and God hath divided me from the world, and you from me.

Remember your poor child, for his father's sake; who chose you and loved you in his happiest time. Get those letters (if it be possible) which I writ to the Lords, wherein I sued for my life. God is my witness, it was for you and yours that I desired life but it is true that I disdain myself for begging it, for know it, dear wife, that your son is the son of a true man, and one who, in his own respect, despiseth death, and all his mis-shapen and ugly forms. I cannot write much; God he knoweth how hardly I steal this time, while others sleep; and it is also high time that I should separate my thoughts from the world. Beg my dead body, which living was denied thee; and either lay it at Sherburne (if the land continue) or in Exeter Church by my father and mother; I can say no more, time and death call me away.

The everlasting, powerful, infinite and omnipotent God; who is goodness itself; the true Life and true Light, keep thee and thine, have mercy on me, and teach me to forgive my persecutors and accusers, and send us to meet in his glorious Kingdom. My dear wife, farewell, bless my poor boy, pray for me, and let my good God hold you both in his

arms.

Written with the dying hand of sometime thy husband, but now (alas) overthrown.-Yours that was, but now not my own, WALTER RALEIGH.

I

LORD HERBERT OF CHERBURY

THOUGHT fit to entreat Sir William Herbert, now Lord Powis, to go to Sir John Ayres, and tell him that I marvelled much at the information given me by these great persons, and that I could not imagine any sufficient ground hereof; howbeit, if he had anything to say to me in a fair and noble

way, I would give him the meeting as soon as I had got strength enough to stand upon my legs.

Sir William hereupon brought me so ambiguous and doubtful an answer from him, that whatsoever he meant, he would not declare yet his intention, which was really, as I found afterwards, to kill me any way that he could, since, as as he said, though falsely, I had seduced his wife. Finding no means thus to surprise me, he sent me a letter to this effect that he desired to meet me somewhere, and that it might so fall out as I might return quietly again. To this I replied that if he desired to fight with me upon equal terms, I should, upon assurance of the field and fair play, give him meeting when he did any way specify the cause, and that I did not think fit to come to him upon any other terms, having been sufficiently informed of his plots to assassinate

me.

After this, finding he could take no advantage against me, then, in a treacherous way, he resolved to assassinate me in this manner. Hearing I was to come to Whitehall on horseback, with two lackeys only, he attended my coming back in a place called Scotland Yard, at the hither end of Whitehall, as you come to it from the Strand, hiding himself here with four men armed, on purpose to kill me.

I took horse at Whitehall Gate, and passing by that place, he being armed with a sword and dagger, without giving me so much as the least warning, ran at me furiously, but instead of me, wounded my horse in the brisket, as far as his sword could enter for the bone. My horse hereupon starting aside, he ran him again in the shoulder, which, though it made the horse more timorous, yet gave me time to draw my sword. His men thereupon encompassed me, and wounded my horse in three places more; this made my horse kick and fling in that manner as his men durst not come near me; which advantage I took to strike at Sir John Ayres with all my force, but he warded the blow both with his sword and dagger; instead of doing him harm, I broke my sword within a foot of the hilt. Hereupon some passenger that knew me, and