presentation, and that he had no other view than the particular purpose for which, at the request of his friend, he undertook it. The scene changes from the magic palace of Comus to a view of the Town and Castle of Ludlow; and one of the songs is addressed to the Earl and his Countess, congratulating them on the constancy of their children in the trials to which their virtue had been exposed.

It is singular to remark that this composition met with a reception much more favourable than the later and more mature works of Milton. It was represented by noble actors, on a stage and before auditors equally noble. But whatever honours accrued to the poet on this account, were in the lapse of a few ages to reflect on his patrons from the splendor of his name.

The pomp and pageantry, the princely magnificence that attended the Court of the Marches were soon to disappear, and the stillness of desolation was to succeed to the bustle of festivity and merriment. This proud Castle, which once held dominion over a whole Principality, was to be abandoned to decay, to be spoiled of every memorial of its illustrious inhabitants, and to be left an awful monument of the mutability of human affairs. Yet even in this state it might still excite interest; though ruined it might be venerable, though solitary it could never be wholly deserted; and the traveller, who turned

aside to view its ruins, would pause ere he passed on, to do homage to the memory of the divine poet who had hallowed them with his immortal strains:

"Here Milton sung, what needs a greater spell
To lure thee, stranger, to these far fam'd walls?
Though chroniclers of other ages tell

That princes oft have grac'd fair Ludlow's halls,
Their honours glide along oblivion's stream,
And o'er the wreck a tide of ruin drives;
Faint and more faint the rays of glory beam
That gild their course-the bard alone survives.
And when the rude unceasing shocks of time
In one vast heap shall whelm this lofty pile,
Still shall his genius, towering and sublime,
Triumphant o'er the spoils of graudeur smile;
Still in these haunts, true to a nation's tongue,

Echo shall love to dwell, and say, here Milton sung."

During the struggle between Charles I. and the Parliament, Ludlow and Shrewsbury were occupied by the royal party headed by the Princes Rupert and Maurice, who had possession of this part of the country and the greater part of Wales. In 1645 Shrewsbury was taken in the night by surprize, by Colonel Mytton. The garrison surrendered by capitulation, and were allowed to march with their arms to Ludlow at the same time thirteen Irish soldiers were left to the mercy of the enemy, who immediately hanged the whole of them. This was said to be their general custom. On this occasion Prince Rupert retaliated, as appears from a journal published at the time. "The House of Commons being informed that Prince Rupert had hanged 13 honest Protestants, that lived about Shropshire, because there were 13 Irish rebels hanged in Shrewsbury, after

some debate thereon, ordered that Prince Rupert should be informed that there is a great difference between Irish rebels and English protestants, and if he does the like again we must retaliate." Again in another paper of the day: "it is indeed a lamentable consideration that such faithful upright men should be taken away in lieu of the cursed Irish rebels come over to fight against the Parliament." The Irish massacre of ten thousand protestants, which took place in 1641, may account for, and in some degree excuse, the cruel spirit manifested on this occasion; and it will scarcely be disputed, that the mutual hatred between the ignorant populace of the two countries has been in a considerable degree continued even to the present time: a spirit which nothing can destroy but the better influence of a reciprocal interchange of acts of justice and christian charity.

In March, 1645, Prince Rupert at Ludlow, and Sir James Astley at Bewdley, were actively attempting to raise additional forces; part of their army also occupied Cleobury, Tenbury, and Burford. They were supposed to be meditating an attack upon Shrewsbury. In the mean time the opposite party observant of their movements, drew out a body of troops from Worcester, Lichfield, and Shrewsbury; an engagement took place at Stokesay, near Ludlow, and the Royalists were defeated with great loss. In this engage

ment Sir William Croft, of Croft Castle, was slain. It was not till the year following, June 9th. 1646, that the Castle of Ludlow fell into the hands of General Sir William Brereton, to whom it was given up by Sir Michael Woodhouse.

The Earl of Bridgewater died in 1648, and was succeeded by Richard Lord Vaughan, Earl of Carberry during the greater part of his time the Castle was strongly garrisoned for the Parliament. Here amidst the noise and bustle of civil dissentions, we find this worthy nobleman encouraging genius, and affording a comfortable asylum to Butler, the satirical author of Hudibras.

In 1667 Henry Somerset, Marquis and Earl of Worcester, was Lord President; he was son of the celebrated Edward, Marquis of Worcester, the most extraordinary projector upon record. Henry was, in his father's life time, created Earl of Glamorgan by Charles I. and by Charles II. appointed President of the Council for the Principality of Wales, elected Knight of the Garter, and created Duke of Beaufort.

Prince Rupert presided in 1679, and is supposed to have continued till his death, which happened November 29, 1692. This Prince, of the royal line of Stewart, was the third son of Frederick, King of Bohemia and Elector Palatine, by Elizabeth daughter of James I. of England, born at Prague, 1619. He was Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria and Cumberland, Earl of

Holderness, and Knight of the Garter.

He had

not exceeded the thirteenth year of his age, when, with Henry, then Prince of Orange, he marched to the siege of Rhineberg; at eighteen years of age he commanded a regiment of horse in the German wars; and being taken prisoner at the battle of Ulota, by the Imperialists, he continued in captivity three years. In 1642 he came to England and offered his services to King Charles I. his uncle, who gave him a command in his army: and having performed important services in the royal cause, he was rewarded by the King with various honours and emoluments.

At Edgehill he charged with incredible bravery and made a great slaughter among the Parliamentarians. In 1643, he seized the town of Cirencester: obliged the governor of Lichfield to surrender; and having joined his brother Prince Maurice, reduced Bristol in three days, and passed to the relief of Newark. In 1644 he marched to relieve York, where he gave the Parliamentarians battle, and entirely defeated their right wing; but Cromwell charged the Marquis of Newcastle with such an irresistible force, that Prince Rupert was entirely defeated. After this the Prince put himself into Bristol, which surrendered to Fairfax, after a gallant resistance.

It is not easy to gather laurels in fighting against a conquering enemy; but if Prince Rupert could not by his prowess avert the inevitable