Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 6.djvu/124

 100

NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. vi. AUG. 3, 1912.

(Dbiiuarg.

THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN. WE offer our deepest sympathy to the people of Japan, and especially to our kind correspondents and friends there, on the great loss they and the whole civilized world have sustained by the death of their beloved Emperor, the faithful friend and ally of Great Britain.

The late Emperor Mutsuhito, who was born on the 3rd of November, 1852, ascended the throne on the 13th of February, 1867, being the one hundred and twenty-first of his race. Although not then fifteen, he within a few weeks invited -the foreign representatives to visit him, this being the first time in over 2, 000 years that the despised foreigner had been admitted to the presence of a Japanese sovereign.

The development of the press under this enlightened ruler has been most remarkable. When he came to the throne, not a single news- paper was published in the country ; now, according to Mitchell, there are sixty principal newspapers, while The Daily Chronicle in its ' Office Window ' of last Monday states that " over 1,600 daily, weekly, and monthly publica- tions are issued, 30 dailies in Tokyo alone." " The founder of the first Japanese newspaper, the Nisshin Shingisha, was Mr. William Black, an English resident in Yokohama." The funds of one paper, started by a native, the Shimbun Zasshi, were mainly supplied by the Empress. " One of the curiosities of contemporary journal- ism is The Japan Times, which is written in English by a staff composed exclusively of natives, and is set up by native compositors."

Particularly pleasant is it for us to remember that, as far back as 1871, our John Francis had the pleasure of receiving Japanese visitors at our office ; and he was delighted to find the keen interest they displayed in our little paper. They asked many questions about it, and took back sets of it with 'them to Japan. The red disk of the national flag was once described by a great Japanese as " the wafer over a sealed island." In the words of The Daily Telegraph, " It has become the emblem of the confident hope of a united nation, which has won its place among the Great Powers of the world."

The words of longing of the late noble Emperor of the Land of the Rising Sun might well find an -cho from the rulers of the West :

O for that time when joys of peace Shall fill again a peaceful world !

'SiR CHRISTOPHER MILTON AND RICHARD MILTON.

THERE has been considerable controversy in the past as to the identity of Richard Milton, and the following is an extract from the Chetham Society Hist. Remains, vol. xxiv. p. 18 (1851), concerning this controversy : " It is singular that no person of this name is mentioned in any of the printed notices of the family connexions of the poet. Perhaps the least improbable supposi- tion is that of his having been a son of Christopher Milton. The only son mentioned by Phillips was Thomas Milton, who succeeded Thomas Agar, his aunt's second husband, as secondary of the

Crown in Chancery. But this notice is only inci dental, the writer not professing to give any account of Christopher Milton's family. The absence of any mention of Richard Milton raises no presumption either way; and as Mrs. Forster was ignorant even of the existence of Thomas Milton's daughter, who was living in Grosvenor Street in 1749, her negative evidence in this case likewise amounts to nothing. There is a pedigree of Sir Christopher Milton among the Harl. MSS., but it is so full of errors of commission and omission that no reliance can be placed on it."

We learn from Messrs. Maggs that they have discovered a marriage settlement signed by Sir Christopher Milton, the brother of John Milton, and by his son Richard. This discovery definitely establishes the fact that Richard Milton was the son of Sir Christopher Milton (1615-93), Judge and Deputy Recorder of Ipswich. The parties to the settlement are Nicholas Haly and Frances Dixon, the widow and relict of Fennor Dixon, of the first part; Francis Haly, eldest son of Nicholas Haly, and Elizabeth his wife, of the second part; and Christopher Milton of Ipswich and Richard Milton his son of the third part. All the parties are of Suffolk, and the settlement is a post-nuptial one ii* favour of Francis Haly and Elizabeth his wife, whose marriage had recently been solemnized.

The signature of Richard Milton also appears on a document relative to the will of the poet drawn up on behalf of his daughter Axme, which Richard Milton attests as a witness, and he also writes for Anne Milton her signature, she merely making a mark over the seal

INDICATION OF HOUSES OF HISTORICAL INTEREST.

A TABLET of encaustic ware was affixed on 22 July, by order of the London County Council, to No. 9, Arlington Street, Piccadilly, to com- memorate the residence of Charles James Fox, who lived there, probably from the early part of 1804 until 1806.

On 25 July a tablet of Hopton Wood stone was affixed to No. 20, Soho Square, W., to commemorate the residence of Arthur Onsjow, Speaker of the House of Commons, who lived there, probably from 1752 until 1761.

to

We must call special attention to the following notices :

EDITORIAL communications should be addressed to "The Editor of 'Notes and Queries '"Adver- tisements and Business Letters to "The Pub- lishers "at the Office, Bream's Buildings, Chancery Lane, E.C.

CORRESPONDENTS who send letters to be for- warded to other contributors should put on the top left-hand corner of their envelopes the number of the page of ' N. & Q.' to which their letters refer, so that the contributor may be readily identified.

A. E. B. ("Upon my lap my sovreign sits"). The author is R. Rowlands. The poem may bo found in 'The Oxford Book of English Verse,' adited by Sir A. Quiller-Couch (Clarendon Press).