travel. Now, methinks (and these are often old men's dreams), I see openings to truth, and direct paths leading to it, wherein a little industry and application would settle one's mind with satisfaction, and leave no darkness or doubt even with the most scrupulous. But this is at the end of my day, when my sun is setting; and though the prospect it has given me be what I would not for any thing be without, there is so much irresistible truth, beauty, and consistency in it, yet it is for one of your age to set about it, as a work you would put in order, and oblige the world with.

17 Nov. 03.

But to set it upon the right ground, you must know that I am a poor ignorant man, and if I have any thing to boast of, it is that I sincerely love and seek truth, with indifferency whom it pleases or displeases.

I thank you for the books you have sent me. They are more I think than I shall use, for the indisposition of my health has beaten me almost quite out of the use of books, and the growing uneasiness of my distemper* makes me good for nothing.

J. LOCKE.

* Asthma.

THE

THE PARTICULARS OF THE FIRST SIEGE OF CORFE CASTLE,

Gallantly defended by the Lady Banks and Captain Lawrence, against the Powers, Plots, and Policies of Sir Walter Earle, and his Adherents.

WHEN the torch of civil discord is once kinded, it is not in the power of human foresight to calculate the dire result, especially if fanned by the breath of religious zeal; even the very monuments which the living have raised to the dead -even those memorials of our affection that promised to outlive the silent touches of time, are wrapt in the general blaze, and the few good men that escape the flames can only deplore what is past, and deprecate the return of such days. The barbarous outrages committed during the civil war in this country, will be found, perhaps, more fully detailed in a scarce work entitled, Mercurius Rusticus, than in any other. This publication was written by BRUNO RYVES, Dean of Chichester, and after the restoration, Dean of Windsor and Wolverhampton, in the reigns of Charles I. and II. He died on the 23d of July 1677, in the 81st year of his age. For a more particular account of this writer, see Wood's Athenæ Oxonienses, A. D. 1721, vol. ii. p. 584, Newcourt's

732.

Newcourt's Repertorium, A. D. 1708, vol. i. P: 423, 424, note (1).

Pote's History of Windsor, A. D. 1749, P. 365, 366.

Appendix to the Life of Dr. Barwick, A. D. 1724, P. 495, note (x).

Ornaments of Churches considered, 4to. A. D.. 1761, p. 117, note (w); also Appendix to that tract, No. VI. p. 8.

The first edition of the Mercurius Rusticus appeared in 1646; a second in 1647. The following account is copied from the first.

THERE is in the Isle of Purbeck a strong castle, called Corfe Castle, seated on a very steep hill, in the fracture of a hill in the very midst of it, being eight miles in length, running from the east end of the peninsula, to the west and though it stand between the two ends of this fracture, so that it may seem to lose much advantage of its natural and artificial strength as commanded from thence, being in height equal to, if not overlooking the tops of the highest towers of the castle; yet the structure of the castle is so strong, the ascent so steep, the walls so massy and thick, that it is one of the most impregnable forts of the kingdom, and of very great concernment in respect of its command over the island, and the plaçes about it. This castle is now the possession and inheritance of the Right Honourable Sir John Banks, Chief Justice of the Common

Pleas,

Pleas, and one of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council, who, receiving commands from the King to attend him at York, in Easter term, 1642, had leave from the two Houses to obey those commands. After the unhappy differences between the King and the two Houses, or rather between the King and the faction in both Houses, grew high, it being generally feared that the sword would decide the controversy, the Lady Banks, a virtuous and prudent lady, resolved, with her children and family, to retire to this castle, there to shelter themselves from the storm which she saw coming, which accordingly she did. There she and her family remained in peace all the winter, and a great part of the spring, until 1643, about which time the rebels, under the command of Sir Walter Earle, Sir Thomas Trenchard, and others, had possessed themselves of Dorchester, Lyme, Melcombe, Weymouth, Wareham, and Pool (Portland Castle being treacherously delivered to the rebels), only Corfe Castle remaining in obedience to the King: but the rebels, knowing how much it concerned them to add this castle to their other garrisons, to make all the sea-coast wholly for them, and thinking it more feasible to gain it by treachery than open hostility, resolved to lay hold on an opportunity, to see if they could become masters of it.

There is an ancient usage that the Major and Barons (as they call them) of Corfe Castle, accompanied

companied by the gentry of the island, have permission from the lord of the castle, on May-day, to course a stag, which every year is performed with much solemnity, and great concourse of people. On this day some troops of horse from Dorchester, and other places, came into this island, intending to find other game than to hunt the stag, their business being suddenly to surprise the gentlemen in the hunting, and to take the castle. The news of their coming dispersed the hunters, and spoiled the sport for that day, and made the Lady Banks to give order for the safe custody of the castle gates, and to keep them shut against all comers. The troopers having missed their prey on the hills (the gentlemen having withdrawn themselves), some of them came to the castle under a pretence to see it, but entrance being denied them, the common soldiers used threatening language, casting out words implying some intention to take the castle; but the commanders, who better knew how to conceal their resolutions, utterly disavowed any such thought, denying that they had any such commission; however, the Lady Banks very wisely, and like herself, hence took occasion to call in a guard to assist her, not knowing how soon she might have occasion to make use of them, it being now more than probable that the rebels had a design upon the castle. The taking in this guard, as it secured her at home, so it rendered

VOL. I.

Y

her