xxii of febrvary, an. dni.
1597."
M. E.
Dublin.
Thomas Gage (Vol. vi., p. 291.).—Thomas Gage (formerly a Dominican friar, and author of the English American, 1648—as I saw the work entitled—subsequently a Puritan preacher), is, I imagine, identical with Thomas Gage, minister of the Gospel at Deal in Kent, whom your correspondent A. B. R. inquires about, p. 291. If so, he became chaplain to Lord Fairfax, and, according to Macaulay, was not unlikely to have married some dependent connexion of that family.
E. C. G.
Marriage in High Life (Vol. vi., p. 359.).—I have often heard a similar story, from an old relation of mine with whom I lived when a girl; and she had heard it from her father,—which would carry the time of its occurrence back to the date 1740, named by your correspondent. My informant's father knew the parties, and I have repeatedly heard the name of the bridegroom; but whether Wilbraham or Swetenham, I do not now remember. Both Wilbrahams and Swetenhams are old Cheshire families, and have intermarried. I am almost certain a Wilbraham was the hero of the story. I have had the house pointed out to me where he lived, and it was not above a couple of hours' drive from Chester, whither we were going in the old-fashioned way of carriage-conveyance. I am sure he was not a peer, though, if a Wilbraham, he might be related to the late (first) Lord Skelmersdale.
There is one other little circumstance, which the reference to those former times has reminded me of,—the pronunciation of the word obliged (as in the Prologue to the Satires, where Pope says:
"By flatterers besieged,
And so obliging that he ne'er obliged),