"Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs."
This passage clearly shows that, at the time spoken of by Ezekiel, the trade in tin was carried on by the inhabitants of Tarshish, whether that place designates Carthage, or Tartessus in Spain, or not; and there can be little doubt that they brought the tin from England; and the addition of silver, iron, and lead, tends to strengthen this opinion.
Herodotus recited his History at the Olympic Games, B.C. 445; and probably the same people traded in tin in his time as in the time of Ezekiel.
The Hebrew word for tin is derived from a verb meaning "to separate," and seems to throw no light on the subject.
S. G. C.
MILTON'S WIDOW.
(Vol. viii., pp. 452. 544. &c.)
Your correspondents Mr. Marsh and Mr. Hughes are entitled to an apology from me for having so long delayed noticing their comments on my communication on the above subject in Vol. viii, p. 134., which comments have failed in convincing me that I have fallen into the error they attribute to me, because it is manifest Richard Minshull of Chester, son of Richard of Wistaston, the writer of the letter of May 3rd, 1656, set forth in the Rev. Mr. Hunter's Milton Pamphlet, pp. 37. and 38., could only have been fifteen years old when that letter was written, he having, as Mr. Hughes states, been born in 1641, so that he must have been only three years the junior of his supposed niece, Mrs. Milton, then Miss Minshull, born in 1638, according to Mr. Marsh's account of her baptism; and furthermore he, Richard, son of the writer of the said letter, must be fairly presumed to have been married at the date of such letter, which he (the Father) thus commences: "My love and best respects to you and my daughter [meaning no doubt his daughter-in-law], tendered with trust of your health." Very unlikely language for a parent to address to his son, a boy of fifteen, on so important a subject as a family pedigree. If this youthful Richard Minshull really was Mrs. Milton's uncle, his brother Randle Minshull, her father, must have been very many years older than him, which was not very probable.
I noticed in a recent Number of your pages, with great satisfaction, a communication from Cranmer, who has avowed himself to be your correspondent Mr. Arthur Paget, for which, in common with Mr. Hughes and others, I feel very thankful to him, notwithstanding it falls short of connecting Mrs. Milton with Richard Minshull of Wistaston, the Holme correspondent of 1656.