An English Garner. (A. Constable and Co. 4s.)—The present volume
of the reissue of Professor Arbor's Garner consists of critical essays and literary fragments, with an introduction by Mr. Churton Collins. Sir Philip Sidney's letter to his brother, Dryden's essay on dramatic poesy, and extracts from Ellwood's "History of Himself" are to be found in the presmit collection. This last gives a dreadful picture of the oppression of the Quakers in the time of Charles II., but the most interesting thing is Ellwood's description of Milton, whom he used to read to. Milton gave the young Quaker a manuscript to take home and read—it was "Paradise Lost "—and asked his opinion of it. Among other things, Ellwood reports that he said :—" Thou hest said mueh here, of Paradise lost : but what hest thou to say of Paradise found ?' He made me no answer, but sat some time in a muse.
And when afterwards I went to wait on him he showed me his second poem, called Paradise Regained : and in a pleasant tone said to me, This is owing to you! For you put it into my head, by the question you put to me at Chalfont ! which, before, I had not thought of."
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