man who came to destroy them, but was beat off by him, and then the young ones destroyed. Had he been so wise as not to have killed them, it had been a sight worth preserving.

I am, yours to serve you,

JOHN WALLIS.

LETTER VI.

Sir JOHN COTTON* to Dr. SMITH.

IF you please to retire for some time from the smoke and the noise of the city, you shall be most heartily welcome to my poor villa at Stratton. I will give you the same invitation which the noble Scaliger gave to his learned friend Isaac Casaubon. Cubiculum tibi adornabo, quod nullum præter te ornamentum habebit. Invenies enim paupertinam quidem, sed mundam supellectilem, et concham salis puri, et ante omnia pectus tibi devotissimum.

I am your faithful friend and servant,
J. COTTON.

Grandson of Sir Robert Cotton, founder of the Cotton

library, which is now in the British Museum.

SIR,

LETTER VII.

From the same to the same.

Stratton, Oct. 13, 1686.

I RETURN you very many thanks τόσα ψαμάθος τε κονις τε) to use my old friend Homer's expression, for the great kindness and care which you shewed to my son in his travels. I am very glad if your short stay at Stratton was not unpleasant unto you. I am sure I received great satisfaction in your learned conversation. I confess I have always taken much delight, ev σκότω καθεσθαι, και ανωνυμον βιον διαγειν, to use the words of the prince of lyric poets, and I find no great reason now in my old age to alter my resolution. I have now settled my son Robert in the noble college of Trinity; I hope he will take to learning, and become useful to his country and his relations. I dare not say to him, without a great allowance for my vanity,

Disce puer virtutem ex me, verumque laborem ;
Fortunam ex aliis.

I give you many thanks for your intelligence as to news. I desire you to send me a Brussels Gazette, and be pleased to inform Mr. Vigures, a coffee man in the old palace in Westminster, how he may send one every week. I would gladly,

likewise, have a news letter* every week from a good intelligencer. But I exceed the bounds of

Before the general circulation of those very useful vehicles of intelligence, Newspapers, it was the custom of such as were desirous of procuring information on political subjects, to engage writers of news letters, who forwarded the occurrences of the day to their employers. Some of these are extant in the British Museum,† and a large collection are preserved among Mr. St. Amand's papers in the Bodleian Library. The following copy of one of these letters will shew the nature of the composition, and the in formation it contains.

Erford 19-20 Aug.

The Saxon Colonel Hanaw being commanded with 1200 horsemen out of the campe before Gorlitz in Lusatia towards Beutten to destroy the Swedish army of General Stollhans, was routed and totally defeated by the Swedish, and the Colonell himselfe slayne: and the Imperialists are beaten in divers quarters before Gorlitz, which city they had undermined in divers places, one whereof they had blown up, but it took contrary effect; for it flew backward, and did the most harme amongst the Imperialists, and the Swedish in Gorlitz tooke by a contremine the gunpowder out of another Imperiall mine, and spoiled it. In Pomerania they have drawn together 4000 fresh souldiers, which are to join with General Stallhans, who intends to raise the siege before Gorlitz.

+ See Chalmers's Life of Ruddiman, 8vo. where the best account of early English Newspapers will be found, which has since been augmented in the British Bibliographer

a letter, amicitia erga te mea, non loquacitas epistolam facit longiorem.

I am, you most affectionate friend and servant,
J. COTTON.

Dresden 20-30 Aug.

Saturday last the Imperialists and Saxons gave an assault with 800 men upon Gorlitz, and blew up a mine, and have lost in that assault 600 men, and were forced at last to retyre. One Captaine and many Souldiers got allready into the breach, which they had shot, and leaped down into the city, but the Swedish in it knocked them all down. The Elector of Saxony intends now to destroy that city with fire, which may cost him much labor, for there be no roofs left upon the houses. We heare for certayne, that the 4000 fresh souldiers, drawn together out of the garrisons in Pomerania, are joined with Stollhans, who is broke up from Beutten, and gone towards Saxony, from thence he is to relieve the city of Gorlitz. The Elector of Saxony hath left his old quarter before Gorlitz, and betooke himself into the Imperiall campe. Betwixt the Crown of Sweden and the Elector of Brandenburg a cessation of armes is concluded for two yeeres.

is

Bremen 23 Aug.-2 Sept.

It is confirmed from many places, that the Swedes and Weymarians had commanded some 1000 horse towards the county of Shoningen to fetch forrage, and were conducted by 2 regiments of horsemen, the Imperialists hearing of it, followed after them with 15 squadrons. The Weymarians before Wolffenbuttle commanded against them the most part of their horsemen, and the 14-24 Aug. in the morning fell unawares upon the Imperialists: the Count of Nassau

I RECEIVED your letter, and return you very many thanks for your kind proposals concerning my library. Truly, Sir, we are fallen into so dangerous times, that it may be more for my private concerns, and the public too, that

leading the Avantgard, was slayne in the first charge, Colonel Muller and 40 horsemen were slayne also: but General Mayor Tupadell seconded the Avantgard, and by that meanes the Weymarians got the field; and defeated totally the 200 cuirassiers, tooke about 700 prisoners, amongst which are 3 earles, 3 lieutenant Colonells, 10 Captaynes of horse, 4 Mayors, 15 Lieutenants, and above 900 were slayne: these 2000 cuirassiers have been the choicest souldiers of the Imperiall army, and were commanded by Count du Brey: the Weymarians to their booty brought into their campe above 1500 saddled horses. At this present some Swedish troupes lye before Vecht, wherein lye not above 100 Imperiall souldiers.

Wesell. 25 Aug. 4 Sept.

After that the Imperialists had maistered the great sconce before Dorsten on the river of Lip, they laboured hard to get the water out of the moat, but they had hitherto effected very little. The governor in it desireth very earnestly favour, wherefore the Princesse of Hessen sent to the confederate armys before Wolffenbuttle for succour: what she will obtayne, we shall heare shortly.

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