The Diary of John Evelyn Volume II Part 1

The Diary of John Evelyn.

by John Evelyn.

VOL. II

THE DIARY OF JOHN EVELYN.

2d January, 1665.

This day was published by me that part of "The Mystery of Jesuitism"

translated and collected by me, though without my name, containing the Imaginary Heresy, with four letters and other pieces.

4th January, 1665. I went in a coach, it being excessive sharp frost and snow, toward Dover and other parts of Kent, to settle physicians, chirurgeons, agents, marshals, and other officers in all the sea ports, to take care of such as should be set on sh.o.r.e, wounded, sick, or prisoners, in pursuance of our commission reaching from the North Foreland, in Kent, to Portsmouth, in Hamps.h.i.+re. The rest of the ports in England were allotted to the other Commissioners. That evening I came to Rochester, where I delivered the Privy Council's letter to the Mayor to receive orders from me.

5th January, 1665. I arrived at Canterbury, and went to the cathedral, exceedingly well repaired since his Majesty's return.

6th January, 1665. To Dover, where Colonel Stroode, Lieutenant of the Castle, having received the letter I brought him from the Duke of Albemarle, made me lodge in it, and I was splendidly treated, a.s.sisting me from place to place. Here I settled my first Deputy. The Mayor and officers of the Customs were very civil to me.

9th January, 1665. To Deal.--10th. To Sandwich, a pretty town, about two miles from the sea. The Mayor and officers of the Customs were very diligent to serve me. I visited the forts in the way, and returned that night to Canterbury.

11th January, 1665. To Rochester, when I took order to settle officers at Chatham.

12th January, 1665. To Gravesend, and returned home. A cold, busy, but not unpleasant journey.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

25th January, 1665. This night being at Whitehall, his Majesty came to me standing in the withdrawing-room, and gave me thanks for publis.h.i.+ng "The Mysteries of Jesuitism," which he said he had carried two days in his pocket, read it, and encouraged me; at which I did not a little wonder: I suppose Sir Robert Murray had given it to him.

27th January, 1665. Dined at the Lord Chancellor's, who caused me after dinner to sit two or three hours alone with him in his bedchamber.

2d February, 1665. I saw a Masque performed at Court, by six gentlemen and six ladies, surprising his Majesty, it being Candlemas day.

8th February, Ash Wednesday, 1665. I visited our prisoners at Chelsea College, and to examine how the marshal and sutlers behaved. These were prisoners taken in the war; they only complained that their bread was too fine. I dined at Sir Henry Herbert's, Master of the Revels.

9th February, 1665. Dined at my Lord Treasurer's, the Earl of Southampton, in Bloomsbury, where he was building a n.o.ble square or piazza,[1] a little town; his own house stands too low, some n.o.ble rooms, a pretty cedar chapel, a naked garden to the north, but good air.

I had much discourse with his Lords.h.i.+p, whom I found to be a person of extraordinary parts, but a _valetudinarian_.--I went to St. James's Park, where I saw various animals, and examined the throat of the _Onocrotylus_, or pelican, a fowl between a stork and a swan; a melancholy water-fowl, brought from Astrakhan by the Russian Amba.s.sador; it was diverting to see how he would toss up and turn a flat fish, plaice, or flounder, to get it right into his gullet at its lower beak, which, being filmy, stretches to a prodigious wideness when it devours a great fish. Here was also a small water-fowl, not bigger than a moorhen, that went almost quite erect, like the penguin of America; it would eat as much fish as its whole body weighed; I never saw so unsatiable a devourer, yet the body did not appear to swell the bigger. The solan geese here are also great devourers, and are said soon to exhaust all the fish in a pond. Here was a curious sort of poultry not much exceeding the size of a tame pigeon, with legs so short as their crops seemed to touch the earth; a milk-white raven; a stork, which was a rarity at this season, seeing he was loose, and could fly loftily; two Balearian cranes, one of which having had one of his legs broken and cut off above the knee, had a wooden or boxen leg and thigh, with a joint so accurately made that the creature could walk and use it as well as if it had been natural; it was made by a soldier. The park was at this time stored with numerous flocks of several sorts of ordinary and extraordinary wild fowl, breeding about the Decoy, which for being near so great a city, and among such a concourse of soldiers and people, is a singular and diverting thing. There were also deer of several countries, white; spotted like leopards; antelopes, an elk, red deer, roebucks, stags, Guinea goats, Arabian sheep, etc. There were withy-pots, or nests, for the wild fowl to lay their eggs in, a little above the surface of the water.

[Footnote 1: The Italians mean simply a square by their _piazzas_.]

23d February, 1665. I was invited to a great feast at Mr. Rich's (a relation of my wife's, now reader at Lincoln's Inn); where was the Duke of Monmouth, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Bishops of London and Winchester, the Speaker of the House of Commons, divers of the Judges, and several other great men.

24th February, 1665. Dr. Fell, Canon of Christ Church, preached before the King, on 15 ch. Romans, v. 2, a very formal discourse, and in blank verse, according to his manner; however, he is a good man.--Mr. Philips, preceptor to my son, went to be with the Earl of Pembroke's son, my Lord Herbert.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

2d March, 1665. I went with his Majesty into the lobby behind the House of Lords, where I saw the King and the rest of the Lords robe themselves, and got into the House of Lords in a corner near the woolsack, on which the Lord Chancellor sits next below the throne: the King sat in all the regalia, the crown-imperial on his head, the sceptre and globe, etc. The Duke of Albemarle bore the sword, the Duke of Ormond, the cap of dignity. The rest of the Lords robed in their places:--a most splendid and august convention. Then came the Speaker and the House of Commons, and at the bar made a speech, and afterward presented several bills, a nod only pa.s.sing them, the clerk saying, _Le Roy le veult_, as to public bills, as to private, _Soit faite commeil est desire_. Then, his Majesty made a handsome but short speech, commanding my Lord Privy Seal to prorogue the Parliament, which he did, the Chancellor being ill and absent. I had not before seen this ceremony.

9th March, 1665. I went to receive the poor creatures that were saved out of the London frigate, blown up by accident, with above 200 men.

29th March, 1665. Went to Goring House, now Mr. Secretary Bennet's, ill-built, but the place capable of being made a pretty villa. His Majesty was now finis.h.i.+ng the Decoy in the Park.

2d April, 1665. Took order about some prisoners sent from Captain Allen's s.h.i.+p, taken in the Solomon, viz, the brave men who defended her so gallantly.

5th April, 1665. Was a day of public humiliation and for success of this terrible war, begun doubtless at secret instigation of the French to weaken the States and Protestant interest. Prodigious preparations on both sides.

6th April, 1665. In the afternoon, I saw acted "_Mustapha_," a tragedy written by the Earl of Orrery.

11th April, 1665. To London, being now left the only Commissioner to take all necessary orders how to exchange, remove, and keep prisoners, dispose of hospitals, etc.; the rest of the Commissioners being gone to their several districts, in expectation of a sudden engagement.

19th April, 1665. Invited to a great dinner at the Trinity House, where I had business with the Commissioners of the Navy, and to receive the second 5,000, impressed for the service of the sick and wounded prisoners.

20th April, 1665. To Whitehall, to the King, who called me into his bedchamber as he was dressing, to whom, I showed the letter written to me from the Duke of York from the fleet, giving me notice of young Evertzen, and some considerable commanders newly taken in fight with the Dartmouth and Diamond frigates, whom he had sent me as prisoners at war; I went to know of his Majesty how he would have me treat them, when he commanded me to bring the young captain to him, and to take the word of the Dutch Amba.s.sador (who yet remained here) for the other, that he should render himself to me whenever I called on him, and not stir without leave. Upon which I desired more guards, the prison being Chelsea House. I went also to Lord Arlington (the Secretary Bennet lately made a Lord) about other business. Dined at my Lord Chancellor's; none with him but Sir Sackville Crowe, formerly Amba.s.sador at Constantinople; we were very cheerful and merry.

24th April, 1665. I presented young Captain Evertzen (eldest son of Cornelius, Vice-Admiral of Zealand and nephew of John, now Admiral, a most valiant person) to his Majesty in his bed-chamber. The King gave him his hand to kiss, and restored him his liberty; asked many questions concerning the fight (it being the first blood drawn), his Majesty remembering the many civilities he had formerly received from his relations abroad, who had now so much interest in that considerable Province. Then, I was commanded to go with him to the Holland Amba.s.sador, where he was to stay for his pa.s.sport, and I was to give him fifty pieces in broad gold. Next day I had the Amba.s.sador's parole for the other Captain, taken in Captain Allen's fight before Calais. I gave the King an account of what I had done, and afterward asked the same favor for another Captain, which his Majesty gave me.

28th April, 1665. I went to Tunbridge, to see a solemn exercise at the free-school there.

Having taken orders with my marshal about my prisoners, and with the doctor and chirurgeon to attend the wounded enemies, and of our own men, I went to London again, and visited my charge, several with legs and arms off; miserable objects, G.o.d knows.

16th May, 1665. To London, to consider of the poor orphans and widows made by this b.l.o.o.d.y beginning, and whose husbands and relations perished in the London frigate, of which there were fifty widows, and forty-five of them with child.

26th May, 1665. To treat with the Holland Amba.s.sador at Chelsea, for release of divers prisoners of war in Holland on exchange here. After dinner, being called into the Council-Chamber at Whitehall, I gave his Majesty an account of what I had done, informing him of the vast charge upon us, now amounting to no less than 1,000 weekly.

29th May, 1665. I went with my little boy to my district in Kent, to make up accounts with my officers. Visited the Governor at Dover Castle, where were some of my prisoners.

3d June, 1665. In my return went to Gravesend; the fleets being just now engaged, gave special orders for my officers to be ready to receive the wounded and prisoners.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

5th June, 1665. To London, to speak with his Majesty and the Duke of Albemarle for horse and foot guards for the prisoners at war, committed more particularly to my charge by a commission apart.

8th June, 1665. I went again to his Grace, thence to the Council, and moved for another privy seal for 20,000, and that I might have the disposal of the Savoy Hospital for the sick and wounded; all which was granted. Hence to the Royal Society, to refresh among the philosophers.

Came news of his highness's victory, which indeed might have been a complete one, and at once ended the war, had it been pursued, but the cowardice of some, or treachery, or both, frustrated that. We had, however, bonfires, bells, and rejoicing in the city. Next day, the 9th, I had instant orders to repair to the Downs, so as I got to Rochester this evening. Next day I lay at Deal, where I found all in readiness: but, the fleet being hindered by contrary winds, I came away on the 12th, and went to Dover, and returned to Deal; and on the 13th, hearing the fleet was at Solbay, I went homeward, and lay at Chatham, and on the 14th, I got home. On the 15th, came the eldest son of the present Secretary of State to the French King, with much other company, to dine with me. After dinner, I went with him to London, to speak to my Lord General for more guards, and gave his Majesty an account of my journey to the coasts under my inspection. I also waited on his Royal Highness, now come triumphant from the fleet, gotten into repair. See the whole history of this conflict in my "History of the Dutch War."

20th June, 1665. To London, and represented the state of the sick and wounded to His Majesty in Council, for want of money, he ordered I should apply to My Lord Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequer, upon what funds to raise the money promised. We also presented to his Majesty divers expedients for retrenchment of the charge.

This evening making my court to the Duke, I spake to Monsieur Comminges, the French Amba.s.sador, and his Highness granted me six prisoners, Embdeners, who were desirous to go to the Barbadoes with a merchant.

22d June, 1665. We waited on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and got an Order of Council for our money to be paid to the Treasurer of the Navy for our Receivers.

23d June, 1665. I dined with Sir Robert Paston, since Earl of Yarmouth, and saw the Duke of Verneuille, base brother to the Queen-Mother, a handsome old man, a great hunter.

The Duke of York told us that, when we were in fight, his dog sought out absolutely the very securest place in all the vessel.--In the afternoon, I saw the pompous reception and audience of El Conde de Molino, the Spanish Amba.s.sador, in the Banqueting-house, both their Majesties sitting together under the canopy of state.