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"That she may die in the spring, and, being dead, may have good store of flowers stuck round about her winding sheet."

Then comes the milk-maid's mother's an "If all the world and love were young.'

swer.

which done, the mother adds:

Well, I have done my song; but stay, honest an glers, for I will make Maudlin to sing you one short song more. Maudlin, sing that song that you sung last night when young Coridon the shepherd played so purely on his oaten pipe to you and your cousin Betty.

Maud. I will, mother.

married a wife of late," &c.

Pisc. Well sung, good woman; I thank you. I'll give you another dish of fish one of these days, and then beg another song of you. Come, scholar, let Maudlin alone: do not you offer to spoil her voice. Look, yonder comes mine hostess to call us to supper. How now! is my brother Peter come?

Hostess. Yes, and a friend with him; they are both glad to hear that you are in these parts, and long to see you, and long to be at supper, for the are very hungry.

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This is an entertaining little book. It de scribes rural scenes and pleasures in simple and unaffected language; the dialogue is lively and humorous, and often diversified with pleasing pieces of pastoral poetry. The morality too is pure and peaceful as the lake on which the angler silently awaits his quiet prey. The work was so favorably received, that it passed through five editions in the author's life-time; to the last of which was subjoined a supplement containing "Instructions how to angle for a Trout, or Grayling, in a clear Stream." An elegant edition was published at London, in 1760, with notes historical, critical, and explanatory, and the lives of the authors prefixed. Angling was the favourite amusement of Walton, particularly while he lived in London. Before his time, the precepts of this art were chiefly, if not wholly, traditionary. By committing them to writing in a manner so agreeable, he has bequeathed an acceptable legacy to the lovers of this tranquil amuse

ment.

L'ESTRANGE.

SIR ROGER L'ESTRANGE, famous as the editor of the first newspaper in England, was descended from an ancient and reputable family, seated at Hunstanton Hall, Norfolk, where he was born in 1616. He was liberally educated, probably at Cambridge. Like his father before him, he was a zealous royalist, and attended king Charles in his expedition. to Scotland in 1639.

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In 1644, during the civil wars, he was once in imminent danger of losing his life. His sentence was passed, the day of his execution. fixed; but obtaining a temporary reprieve, and then a prolongation of it, he finally made his es cape from prison, after a confinement of nearly four years. Engaging now in an unsuccess ful insurrection, he saved his life by flying his

country, and remained abroad till the passing of the act of indemnity, in 1653.

After the restoration, the only recompence he ever received for his loyalty, (except being in the commission of the peace) was his being made licenser of the press; which, however, was a profitable post. In order to increase the means of his support, in 1663, he set up a "The Public Intelligencer," paper, called and "The News." The first of these papers came out 1st of August, and continued to be published twice a week till January 19, 1665, when it was superseded by the scheme of publishing the London Gazette," the first of which appeared on the 4th of February following.

After the dissolution of Charles's second parliament, in 1679, he set up another paper, called, "The Observator," the design of which was to vindicate the measures of the court, and the character of the king, from the charge of popery. But in 1687, as he disapproved the toleration proposed by his majesty, he discontinued this paper, after it had swollen to three volumes. He was knighted in the following reign; and died in 1704.

He was author of various political and theo

logical tracts, collected in a 4to volume; also of some others printed in folio; besides translations from the Greek, Latin, and Spanish.

His Esop's Fables, are probably the most known of his works. The following chapter taken from his "Life of Esop," will be sufficient to shew his characteristic manner of writing.

Chap. 7. Esop's invention to bring his Mistress back

again to her Husband after she had left him.

The wife of Xanthus was well born and wealthy, but so proud and domineering withal, as if her fortune and her extraction had entitled her to the breeches. She was horribly bold, meddling, and expensive (as that sort of women commonly are) easily put off the hooks, and monstrous hard to be pleased again; perpetually chattering at her husband, and upon all occasions of controversy threatening him to be gone. It came to this at last, that Xanthus's stock of patience being quite spent, he took up a resolution of going another way to work with her,

of trying a course of severity, since there was nothing to be done with her by kindness. But this experiment, instead of mending the matter, made it

worse; for upon harder usage, the woman grew des

perate, and went away from him in earnest. She was as bad, 'tis true, as bad might well be, and yet Xan

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