The Six Gates of Troy (Vol. viii., p. 288.).—The passage of Dares relative to the gates of Troy describes the deeds of Priam on succeeding to the throne:
"Priamus ut Ilium venit, minime moram fecit, ampliora mœnia exstruxit, et civitatem munitissimam reddidit.... Regiam quoque ædificavit, et ibi Jovi Statori aram consecravit. Hectorem in Pæoniam misit, Ilio portas fecit, quarum hæc sunt nomina: Antenorea, Dardania, Ilia, Scæa, Thymbræa, Trojana. Deinde, postquam Ilium stabilitum vidit, tempus expectavit."—Chap. 4.
It will be observed that these six names correspond with the six names in Shakspeare, except that Shakspeare, following some ignorant transcriber, substitutes Chetas for Scæan.
The work, consisting of forty-four short chapters, which has come down to us under the title of De Excidio Trojæ Historia, by Dares Phrygius, is a pseudonymous production, which cannot be placed earlier than the fifth or sixth century. See the preface to the edition of Dederick, Bonnæ, 1835; or the article "Dares," by Dr. Schmitz, in Dr. Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography. Other writers spoke of four gates of Troy. (See Heyne, Exc. XIV. ad Æn. II.)
L.
Milton's Widow (Vol. vii., p. 596.; Vol. viii., pp. 12. 134. 200.).—Having noticed several Queries and Replies in your pages concerning the family of the poet Milton's third wife, I beg to give the following extracts from a pamphlet printed by Pullan of Chester so recently as 1851, entitled Historical Facts connected with Nantwich and its Neighbourhood:
"In that same year (1662), Milton was received at Stoke Hall as the husband of Elizabeth Minshull, the grand-daughter of Geoffrey Minshull."—P. 50. "Not far from the Hall, where Milton was once a welcome visitor, stands the Yew Tree House."
There can be little doubt the author of the pamphlet referred to derived the information on which those statements were made from an authentic source; and if so, it seems pretty clear, the Elizabeth Minshull whom Milton married was grand-daughter of Geoffrey Minshull of Stoke Hall.
T. P. L.
Manchester.