poor Puritan was prosecuted in the iniquitous Star Chamber, where he was fined three thousand pounds, ordered to be expelled from the University of Oxford and the society at Lincoln's Inn, degraded from the bar, twice set in the pillory, his ears to be cut off, and his book to be burnt by the common hangman. Rather a high price to pay for liberty of thought on such a subject! He got out, however, in a short time not so his unfortunate brother-compiler, Sir Richard Baker. Sir Richard was confined in the Fleet for more than twenty years, where he died in 1644-5, in the saddest poverty. Here he wrote his amusing, though inaccurate, "Chronicles of the Kings of England." Poor Sir Richard's length of confinement made him the companion of many miseries. In the latter part of his life, John Lilburne was added to the list of the Fleet's inmates. He and his printer, Wharton, were brought before the Star Chamber, for the offence given to the court by his "News from Ipswich;" but they refused to be sworn, and impugned the authority of the court. It was there that Lilburne gained the sobriquet of Free-born John. Author and printer were sentenced to be placed in the pillory, and whipped. They were then taken back to the Fleet, where they remained until the Long Parliament set them at liberty. Lilburne's temper was soured by these indignities : whipping was a punishment only inflicted upon felons at that time; and there was, perhaps, some force in Henry Marten's saying, that, if John Lilburne were the only man in the world, John would

quarrel with Lilburne, and Lilburne would quarrel with John.

"The wonder is,

How, with such teaching and such treatment, man
Is not more devil!"

Howell was in the Fleet too; and wrote from the
prison several of his amusing letters. Wycherley
was here for seven long years. The unfortunate wit
went down to Tunbridge Wells, a favourite resort of
the court at that time, and happened to be in a book-
seller's shop when the Countess of Drogheda came in
to ask for the "Plain Dealer ;" the bibliopole pre-
sented the original to the gratified lady. Upon this
hint he spake, and she listened to his tale. Soon
after this introduction, the wit married the countess,
and she settled her property upon him, and then
died. This was his misfortune; for the will was
contested by her friends, and the bereaved husband
was ruined by legal and other expenses.
He was
liberated from gaol by King James; but the story
of how this came about is told variously. Some say
that James was so delighted with the "Plain Dealer,"
that he ordered the author's debts to be paid, and a
pension of 2007. a-year settled upon him for life:
others--Macaulay, for instance-attribute the king's
munificence to Wycherley's complaisance in the mat-
ter of religion. It is certain that Wycherley became
a Catholic. Richard Savage lived within the liberties
of the Fleet at one time, to be free from his creditors;
whither, as Johnson says, his friends "sent him every
Monday a guinea, which he commonly spent before

chance for a din

Savage was not

the next morning; and trusted to ner every other day in the week." the last man of letters who was familiar with the walls of the Fleet; but we refrain from gathering illustrations of our manners from days nearer to our own time.

The Marshalsea is, perhaps, not so rich in literary and historical illustrations as the Fleet. Bishop Bonner, who had been already in the Fleet, was sent hither on losing his see of London. He was accused of adhering to Rome, and was ordered by the privy council to preach a sermon at St. Paul's Cross on four given points. One of these points he omitted; and thereupon he was tried, found guilty, degraded, and sent to the Marshalsea. A man meeting him, cried, “Good morrow, bishop quondam ;" to which the angry prelate replied, "Farewell, knave semper." Queen Mary, at her accession, released Bonner from prison, and restored him to his episcopal rank. He soon marked his path with blood and fire. Fox counts no less than a hundred and twenty-five martyrs in his diocese; and many more would have suffered death for their opinions, but for the interference of Cardinal Pole. When Elizabeth came to the throne, Bonner refused to take the oaths of supremacy, and was sent back to prison. When he was being taken from the council-table, a person exclaimed, "The Lord confound, or else turn thy heart ;" to which pious wish Bonner answered contemptuously, "The Lord send thee to keep thy breath to cool thy porridge." He lived ten years

in the Marshalsea, and died there September 5th, 1569. He was buried at midnight, with other prisoners, in St. George's, Southwark. In the reigns of Henry VIII., Mary, and Elizabeth, the Marshalsea was the second prison in importance in London, being only inferior to the Tower. Shakspeare seems to have known it well.

If Shakspeare himself escaped the Marshalsea, it is highly probable that some of his friends did not. It seems to me most likely that the very curious and touching letter written by Massinger and others to Philip Henslowe was written from the Marshalseaused for the confinement of debtors in small amounts.

“MR. HINCHLOW (Henslowe),

"You understande our unfortunate extremity, and I do not think you so void of Christianity, but that you would throw so much money into the Thames as we request now of you, rather than endanger so many innocent lives. You know there is ten pounds more at least to be received of you for the plays. We desire you to lend us five pounds of that, which shall be allowed to you; without which we cannot be bailed, nor I play any more till this be despatched. It will lose you twenty pounds ere the end of next week, besides the hindrance of the next new play. Pray, Sir, consider our cases with humanity, and now give us true cause to acknowledge you our true friend in time of need. We have entreated Mr. Davidson to deliver this note; as well to witness your love as our promises, and always

and loving friend,

acknowledgment to be ever, Your most thankful "NAT. FIELD. "The money shall be abated out of the money remains for the play of Mr. Fletcher and ours, "ROB. DABORNE.

"I have ever found you a true loving friend to me, and in so small a suit, it being honest, I hope you will not fail us, "PHILIP MASSINGER."

On all these securities Henslowe sent the five pounds. How sad it is to read a letter like this, subscribed with the great name of Massinger! How it carries the memory forward to that lonely grave in St. Saviour's, and the yet more affecting record in the parish register-" Buried, Philip Massinger, a stranger.”—Massinger a stranger! What depths of undared romance there is in the records of daily life!

Christopher Brooke, the poet, was confined here for being concerned in the wedding of Dr. Donne. The poetical satire, "Abuses stript and whipt," caused the author, George Wither, to be committed to the Marshalsea. Here he wrote his "Satire to the King," which is said to have procured his release. He was subsequently arrested and sent to the Tower. Anthony à Wood says he would once have lost his head, had he not been saved by a witty turn of his poetic rival, Sir John Denham, who begged his majesty not to hang him, because, so long as Wither lived, he could not be called the worst poet in England. The learned Selden was confined for a