ILLUSTRATIONS PORTRAITS JOHN EVELYN. From the engraving by Thomas Bragg after the picture by Sir Godfrey Kneller. [See p. 185] . PAGE Frontispiece LOUISE-RENÉE DE PENANCOËT DE KEROUALLE, DUCHESS OF PORTS- 113 CHARLES II. From the portrait by Mary Beale in the National 137 249 AUTOGRAPH FACSIMILE OF A LETTER FROM JOHN EVELYN TO ARCHBISHOP 55 VIEWS CLIVEDEN, BUCKS. From an engraving after a drawing by John 35 CASSIOBURY, HERTS. From an engraving, by John Kip after a drawing by L. Knyff 45 CHELSEA COLLEGE. From an engraving by John Kip after his own drawing 83 101 RYE HOUSE, HERTS. From a water-colour in the British Museum FROST FAIR ON THE THAMES, 1683-84. From a contemporary broadside 121 ALTHORP, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. From an engraving by John Kip after a drawing by L. Knyff PAGE 237 GREENWICH HOSPITAL. From an engraving by Sutton Nicholls, 1704 323 WOTTON CHURCH, SURREY (Interior), 1818. From an engraving by 343 WOTTON CHURCH, SURREY (Dormitory), 1818. From an engraving by William Angus after a drawing by John Coney 373 THE DIARY OF JOHN EVELYN 1676-7 8th February. I went to Roehampton, with my lady Duchess of Ormonde. The garden and perspective is pretty, the prospect most agreeable. 15th May. Came the Earl of Peterborough,' to desire me to be a trustee for Lord Viscount Mordaunt and the Countess, for the sale of certain lands set out by Act of Parliament, to pay debts. 12th June. I went to London, to give the Lord Ambassador Berkeley (now returned from the treaty at Nimeguen) an account of the great trust reposed in me during his absence, I having received and remitted to him no less than £20,000 to my no small trouble and loss of time, that during his absence, and when the Lord Treasurer was no great friend [of his] I yet procured him great sums, very often soliciting his Majesty in his behalf; looking after the rest of his estates and concerns entirely, without once accepting any kind of acknowledgment, purely upon the request of my dear friend, Mr. Godolphin. I returned with abundance of thanks and professions from my Lord Berkeley and my Lady. 29th. This business being now at an end, and myself delivered from that intolerable servitude 1 [See ante, vol. ii. p. 119.] and correspondence, I had leisure to be somewhat more at home and to myself. 3rd July. I sealed the deeds of sale of the manor of Bletchingley to Sir Robert Clayton,' for payment of Lord Peterborough's debts, according to the trust of the Act of Parliament. 16th. I went to Wotton.-22nd. Mr. Evans, curate of Abinger, preached an excellent sermon on Matt. v. 12. In the afternoon, Mr. Higham at Wotton catechised. 26th. I dined at Mr. Duncomb's, at Sheere,3 whose house stands environed with very sweet and quick streams. 29th. Mr. Bohun, my son's late tutor, preached at Abinger, on Phil. iv. 8, very elegantly and practically. 5th August. I went to visit my Lord Brouncker, now taking the waters at Dulwich. 9th. Dined at the Earl of Peterborough's the day after the marriage of my Lord of Arundel to Lady Mary Mordaunt, daughter to the Earl of Peterborough.* 28th. To visit my Lord Chamberlain," in Suffolk; he sent his coach and six to meet and bring me from St. Edmund's Bury to Euston." 29th. We hunted in the Park and killed a very fat buck.-31st. I went a-hawking. 4th September. I went to visit my Lord Crofts," now dying at St. Edmund's Bury, and took the opportunity to see this ancient town, and the 1 [See ante, vol. ii. p. 117. There is a florid monument to Sir Robert Clayton (Dryden's Ishban) in Bletchingley Church (St. Mary's). It was erected during his lifetime.] 2 [See ante, vol. ii. p. 68.] 9 [See post, under 1st July, 1694.] 4 [She was afterwards divorced by her husband, being then Duchess of Norfolk (see post, under April, 1700).] 5 [Lord Arlington.] 7 [See ante, vol. ii. p. 17.] 6 [See ante, vol. ii. p. 330.] remains of that famous monastery and abbey. There is little standing entire, save the gatehouse; it has been a vast and magnificent Gothic structure, and of great extent. The gates are wood, but quite plated over with iron. There are also two stately churches, one especially. 5th September. I went to Thetford, to the borough-town, where stand the ruins of a religious house: there is a round mountain artificially raised, either for some castle, or monument, which makes a pretty landscape. As we went and returned, a tumbler showed his extraordinary address in the Warren. I also saw the Decoy; much pleased with the stratagem. 7th. There dined this day at my Lord's one Sir John Gawdie,' a very handsome person, but quite dumb, yet very intelligent by signs, and a very fine painter; he was so civil and well bred, as it was not possible to discern any imperfection by him. His lady and children were also there, and he was at church in the morning with us. 9th. A stranger preached at Euston Church, and fell into a handsome panegyric on my Lord's new building the church, which indeed for its elegance and cheerfulness, is one of the prettiest country churches in England. My Lord told me his heart smote him that, after he had bestowed so much on his magnificent palace there, he should see God's House in the ruin it lay in. He has also re-built the parsonage-house, all of stone, very neat and ample. 10th. To divert me, my Lord would needs carry me to see Ipswich, when we dined with one Mr. Mann by the way, who was Recorder of the town. There were in our company my Lord Huntingtower, son to the Duchess of Lauderdale, [Sir John Gawdie, 1639-1708. He was a pupil of Lely, and deaf as well as dumb.] |