[Dryden's attack on Milbourne occurs in his preface to the Fables (Scott's edition of his _Works_, vol. xi. p. 235.). "As a corollary to this preface," says Dryden, "in which I have done justice to others, I owe somewhat to myself; not that I think it worth my time to enter the lists with one Milbourne and one Blackmore, but barely to take notice that such men there are, who have written scurrilously against me without any provocation. Milbourne, who is in orders, pretends, amongst the rest, this quarrel to me, that I have fallen foul on priesthood; if I have, I am only to ask pardon of good priests, and am afraid his part of the reparation will come to little. Let him be satisfied that he shall not be able to force himself upon me for an adversary. I contemn him too much to enter into competition with him." A little lower down Dryden hints that Milbourne lost his living for writing a libel upon his parishioners.] _Portrait Painters of the last Century._--I am anxious to obtain some information respecting the portrait painters of the last century. I have in my collection a picture by H. Smith, 1736. Can any of your readers give me an account of him? DURANDUS. [A biographical list, alphabetically arranged, of portrait painters, is given in Hobbes's _Picture Collector's Manual; being a Dictionary of Painters_, vol. ii. pp. 467-515., edit. 1849; a useful work of the kind. The name of H. Smith is not noticed.] _Ætna._--To whom can the following passage refer? "We found a good inn here (Catania), kept by one Caca Sangue, a name that sounds better in Italian than it would in English. This fellow is extremely pleasant and communicative, and among other things he told us that Mr. ----, who has published such a minute description of his journey to the crater of Ætna, was never there, but sick in Catania when his {564} party ascended, he having been their guide."--_Travels through Switzerland, Italy, Sicily, &c._, vol. ii. p. 21., by Thomas Watkins, A.M., F.R.S., in the years 1787, 1788, 1789; 2 vols. 8vo., 2nd edition, London, 1794. ANON. [The reference is probably to M. D'Orville, whose minute description of his journey up Mount Ætna was copied into the _Gentleman's Magazine_, vol. xxxiv. p. 281., extracted from D'Orville's work, entitled _Sicula, or the History and Antiquities of the Island of Sicily, &c._, 2 vols. folio, Amsterdam.] _Sir Adam, or Sir Ambrose, Brown._--This friend of Evelyn, who lived at Betchworth Park, is sometimes called Sir Adam, and sometimes Sir Ambrose, in Evelyn's _Memoirs_. Is not Sir Adam the correct name? C. H. [The entries in Evelyn's _Diary_ seem to be correct. Sir Ambrose Brown, obit. 1661, was the father of Sir Adam, obit. 1690. See the pedigree in Manning and Bray's _Surrey_, vol. i. p. 560.] * * * * * Replies.