rough　a　pipe　eight　inches　long。　　An　act　of　parliament　was　passed　enabling　the　marquis　to　reap　the　benefit　and　profit　from　this　invention；　subject　to　a　tenth　part　which　was　reserved　for　the　king　and　his　heirs。
  The　Royal　Society　soon　became　one　of　the　foremost　objects　of　interest　in　the　city。　　Foreigners　of　distinction　were　conducted　to　its　rooms　that　they　might　behold　the　visible　signs　of　knowledge　it　could　proudly　boast；　and　women　of　culture　were　admitted　to　hear　the　lectures　its　members　delivered。
  Amongst　these　latter　may　be　mentioned　the　eccentric　Duchess　of　Newcastle；　a　lady　who　dressed　her　footmen　in　velvet　coats；　habited　herself　in　antique　gowns；　wrote　volumes　of　plays　and　poetry；　desired　the　reputation　of　learning；　and　indulged　in　circumstances　of　pomp　and　state。　　Having　expressed　her　desire　to　be　present　at　one　of　the　meetings　of　the　Royal　Society；　the　council　prepared　to　receive　her；　not；　it　must　be　admitted；　without　some　fear　her　extravagance　would　expose　them　to　the　ridicule　of　the　town；　and　place　them　fit　the　mercy　of　ballad…　mongers。　　So　it　happened　one　fair　May…day；　in　the　year　1667　a　vast　concourse　of　people　had　assembled　to　witness　her　arrival　at　Arundel　House　in　the　Strand；　where　the　society　held　its　meetings　for　some　years　after　the　burning　of　Gresham　College。　　And　she　in　good　time　reaching　there；　surrounded　by　her　maids　of　honour；　gentlemen　in　waiting；　and　lackeys；　was　met　by　the　president；　Viscount　Brouncker；　having　his　mace　carried　before　him；　and　was　conducted　to　the　great　room。　　When　the　meeting　was　over；　various　experiments　were　tried　for　her　satisfaction；　amongst　others　a　piece　of　roasted　mutton　was　turned　into　pure　blood。　　The　while　she　witnessed　these　sights；　crowds　of　gallants　gathered　round　her　that　they　might　catch　and　retain　such　fine　things　as　fell　from　her　lips；　but　she　only　cried　out　her　wonder　and　admiration　at　all　she　saw；　and　at　the　end　of　her　visit　was　conducted　in　state　to　her　coach　by　several　noble　lords；　notable　amongst　whom　was　a　vastly　pretty　young　man；　Francis　Seymour；　fifth　Duke　of　Somerset。
  CHAPTER　XXI。
  A　period　rich　in　literature。John　Milton's　early　life。Writing　〃Paradise　Lost。〃Its　publication　and　success。His　later　works　and　death。John　Dryden　gossips　with　wits　and　players。Lord　Rochester's　revenge。Elkanah　Settle。John　Crowne。Thomas　Otway　rich　in　miseries。Dryden　assailed　by　villains。The　ingenious　Abraham　Cowley。The　author　of　〃Hudibras。〃Young　Will　Wycherley　and　Lady　CastlemaineThe　story　of　his　marriage。Andrew　Marvell；　poet　and　politician。John　Bunyan。
  The　men　of　genius　who　lived　in　the　days　of　the　merry　monarch　have　rendered　his　reign；　like　that　of　Elizabeth；　illustrious　in　the　annals　of　literature。　　The　fact　of　〃Paradise　Lost；〃　the　〃Pilgrim's　Progress；〃　　〃Hudibras；〃　and　〃Alexander's　Feast〃　being　given　to　the　world　whilst　Charles　II。　occupied　the　throne；　would　have　sufficiently　marked　the　epoch　as　one　exceeding　in　intellectual　brilliancy；　but　besides　these　works；　an　abundance　of　plays；　poems；　satires；　treatises；　and　histories　added　fresh　lustre　to　this　remarkable　age。
  At　the　period　of　the　restoration；　John　Milton　had　reached　his　fifty…second　year。　　He　had　studied　in　the　University　of　Cambridge；　published　the　〃Masque　of　Comus；〃　likewise　a　treatise　against　the　Established　Church；　taught　school　at　Aldersgate　Street；　married　a　wife　and　advocated　divorce；　printed　a　pamphlet　to　compose　the　minds　of　those　disturbed　by　the　murder　of　Charles　I。；　as　also　a　defence　of　his　murderers；　justifying　the　monarch's　execution；　for　which　the　author　was　awarded　a　thousand　pounds；　had　become　secretary　to　Cromwell；　whom　he　stooped　to　flatter；　and　had　even；　on　the　advent　of　his　majesty's　return；　written　and　set　forth　〃A　Ready　and　Easy　Way　to　establish　a　Free　Commonwealth。〃　＇〃To　your　virtue；〃　writes　John　Milton　to　Oliver　Cromwell；　〃overpowering　and　resistless；　every　man　gives　way；　except　some　who；　without　equal　qualifications；　aspire　to　equal　honours；　who　envy　the　distinctions　of　merit　greater　than　their　own；　and　who　have　yet　to　learn　that；　in　the　coalition　of　human　society；　nothing　is　more　pleasing　to　God；　or　more　agreeable　to　reason；　than　that　the　highest　mind　should　have　the　sovereign　power。　Such；　sir；　are　you；　by　general　confession：　　such　are　the　things　achieved　by　you；　the　greatest　and　most　glorious　of　our　countrymen；　the　director　of　our　public　councils；　the　leader　of　unconquered　armies　the　father　of　your　country；　for　by　that　title　does　every　good　man　hail　you　with　sincere　and　voluntary　praise。〃＇
  On　the　landing　of　Charles　II。　Milton　withdrew　to　the　privacy　afforded　by　a　residence　in　Bartholomew　Close；　near　West　Smithfield。　　For　a　time　he　was　apprehensive　of　punishment。　　His　pamphlet　justifying　the　late　king's　execution　was；　with　others　of　a　like　kind；　burned　by　the　common　hangman；　but　though　parliament　ordered　the　attorney…general　would　prosecute　the　authors　of　these　works；　Milton　was　neither　seized　nor　brought　to　trial。　　Soon　after　his　arrival；　Charles　published　an　act　of　grace　promising　free　pardon　to　those　instrumental　in　overthrowing　his　father's　government；　with　the　exception　of　such　as　had　contrived　his　death；　and　inasmuch　as　Milton　had　but　justified　that　monstrous　act　after　it　had　taken　place；　he　escaped　condemnation。　　Moreover；　he　received　a　special　pardon；　which　passed　the　privy　seal　in　December；　1660。　　His　escape　has　been　attributed　to　his　friend　Davenant。　　This　loyal　soldier　had；　when　taken　by　Cromwell's　troopers　in　the　civil　war；　been　condemned　to　speedy　death；　from　which；　by　Milton's　intercession；　he　escaped；　an　act　of　mercy　Davenant　now　repaid　in　kind；　by　appealing　to　his　friends　in　behalf　of　the　republican's　safety。
  Having　secured　his　freedom；　Milton　lived　in　peace　and　obscurity　in　Jewin　Street；　near　Aldersgate　Street。　　During　the　commonwealth　his　first　wife；　the　mother　of　his　three　children；　had　died；　on　which　he　sought　solace　and　companionship　in　a　union　with　Catherine　Woodcock；　who　survived　her　marriage　but　twelve　months；　and　being　left　free　once　more；　he；　in　the　year　of　grace　1661；　entered　into　the　bonds　of　holy　matrimony　for　a　third　time；　with　Elizabeth　Minshul；　a　lady　of　excellent　family　and　shrewish　temper；　who　rendered　his　daughters　miserable　in　their　father's　lifetime；　and　defrauded　them　after　his　death。
  In　order　to　support　his　family　he　continued　to　keep　a　school；　and　likewise　employed　himself　in　writing　〃Paradise　Lost〃　the　composition　of　which　he　had　begun　five　years　previously。　　From　his　youth　upwards　he　had　been　ambitious　to　furnish　the　world　with　some　important　work；　and　prevision　of　resulting　fame　had　given　him　strength　and　fortitude　in　periods　of　difficulty　and　depression。　　And　now　the　time　had　arrived　for　realization　of　his　dream；　though　stricken　by　blindness；　harassed　by　an　unquiet　wife；　and　threatened　by　poverty；　he　laboured　sore　for　fame。　　The　more　fully　to　enjoy　quiet　necessary　to　his　mental　condition；　he　removed　to　a　house　in　Artillery　Walk；　Bunhill　Fields。　　His　life　was　one　of　simplicity。　　He　rose　as　early　as　four　o'clock　in　summer　and　five　in　winter；　and　being　〃smit　with　the　love　of　sacred　song；〃　had　a　chapter　of　the　Bible　read　to　him；　studied　until　twelve；　dined　frugally　at　one；　and　afterwards　held　discourse　with　such　friends　as　came　to　visit　him。
  One　of　these　was　Thomas　Elwood；　a　quaker　much　esteemed　amongst　good　men；　who；　in　order　that　he　might　enjoy　the　advantages　of　the　poet's　conversation；　read　Latin　to　him　every　afternoon　save　Sunday。　　The　whilst　his　voice　rose　and　fell　in　regular　monotony；　the　blind　man　drank　his　words　with　thirsty　ears；　and　so　acute　were　the　senses　remaining　to　him；　that　when　Elwood　read　what　he　did　not　understand；　Milton　perceived　it　by　the　inflection　of　his　voice；　and　stopped　him　to　explain　the　passage。　　In　fair　weather　the　poet　wandered　abroad；　enjoying　the　fragrance　of　sweet　pasture　land；　and　the　warmth　of　glad　sunlight　he　might　not　behold。　　And　anon；　seated　in　a　high…backed　chair　without　his　door；　his　straight　pale　face　full　of　repose　and　dignity；　his　light　brown　hair　falling　in　curls　upon　his　shoulders；　his　large　grey　eyes；　〃clear　to　outward　view　of　blemish　or　of　spot；〃　fixed　on　vacancy；　his　figure　clad　in　coarse　clothhe　received　those　who　sought　his　society。
  In　their　absence　the　poet　spent　solitary　hours　conning　over　as　many　lines　of　the　great　poem　as　his　memory　could　store；　until　one　of　his　friends　arrived；　and　relieved　him　by　taking　the　staazas　down。　　Frequently　his　nephew；　Edward　Philips；　performed　this　task　for　him。　　To　him　Milton　was　in　the　habit　of　showing　his　work　as　it　advanced；　and　Philips　states　he　found　it　frequently　required　correction　in　orthography　and　punctuation；　by　reason　of　the　various　hands　which　had　written　it。　　As　summer　advanced；　he　was　no　longer　favoured　by　a　sight　of　the　poem；　inquiring　the　reason　of　which；　Milton　told　him　〃his　vein　never　happily　flowed　but　from　the　autumnal　equinox　to　the　vernal；　and　that　whatever　he　attempted　at　other　times　was　never　to　his　satisfaction；　though　he　courted　his　fancy　never　so　much。〃
  In　the　year　1665　〃Paradise　Lost〃　was　completed；　but　no　steps　were　taken　towards　its　publication；　as　the　author；　in　company　with　his　neighbours；　fled　from　the　dreaded　plague。　　The　following　year　the　citizens　were　harassed　by　losses　sustained　from　the　great　fire；　so　that　Milt