Milton's Genealogy.

John Milton the eider " came to London , and became a scrivener ( brought up by a friend of his : was not an apprentice ) , and got a plentiful estate by ifc , " for it is clear the father was an apprentice in fche usual course , and did not become a scrivener by redemption , or purchase of his freedom , which would in those days haA'e cost a considerable sum . Fifthl yit suggests a very different date for the birth

, of Milton the scrivener , to that assigned by Professor Masson , who thinks die may have been coeval "with Shakspeare , and bom about 1562 or 1503 , whereas according to Bro . Clarke he would have been apprenticed , according to the custom of London , at fourteen or fifteen ; admitted to the freedom at fche age of twenty-one ; have been born in the beginning of 1578 or cud of 1577 ; and at the time of his death

, in 1647 , have been sixty-nine years of age , and not ei ghty-three . It is shoAvn further , that the period of Milton ' s beginning practice , wonlcl be about 1599 , and that soon after , say in 1600 , he married . Mr . Clarke considers that the tradition of his having been at college at Oxford is unfounded , though he may have been at a grammar school there before his apprenticeship , as Stanton is only four and a half

miles from Oxford . He considers it very unlikely that a difference on account of religion took place between Henry and John Milton previous to the time of apprenticeship , but that in all likelihood John AA'as apprenticed by the father , that he conformed while in London , and thought it expedient to conform on engaging in practice , and that hence the difference arose . According to Bro . Clarke

, Colbron was not the ori ginal master of John Milton , and upon this head and several others there is IIOAV an opening for investigation ; but IIOAV that the ri ght track has been found , there can be no doubt many most interesting discoveries will be found of his Oxfordshire connexions .

Ancient Records.

ANCIENT RECORDS .

A correspondent has sent us a couple of pages from an ancient minute book which he some time since received irom a tradesman—ivhich shows how well Masonic records arc preserved . An inspection of these minutes will prove that our brethren ofthe last century could not be accused of wasting their substance on the pleasures of the tabic , the whole expenses ofthe evening scarcely exceeding , and in sonic cases not equalling , the allowance now made to the Tylers by the metropolitan Lod ges . The following are the contents of the

fragment : — " Lodge of Fortitude , held at the Hoe Buck , in Oxford Street , AVednesday the i ' tid August , mo , being tlie 3 d night in the Quarter . Tlie Lodge ivas opened in clue form , and the minutes of tho last Lodge night were read and confirmed-Present—Bro . Arts . R . W . M . ; Bra . Connor , S . AV . ; Bvo . Mozo , J . AV . ; Bro Stokes ' PAL ; Bro . Poole , Treas ., i . ' . T . ; Bro . Maze , Soe , V . T . ; Bros . Smytli , Tathain-Hewson , Smeeton , Mackay , Martin , Bradley , Taylor , Devenetj '