a coachman, who had a carabine by his side, and, as the officers think, only a footman in the coach, and a loose horse running by. Next to him, went the Holland Ambassador's coach, then the Swede's second coach. These being all advanced upon the hill, the Duke of Albemarle's coach, with the rest of the English, were stopped by interposition of his Royal Highness's Lifeguard, which had express order to march immediately after the last Ambassador's coach; and so they went on, without any farther interruption.

This is the most accurate relation of what passed, as to matter of fact, from honourable, most ingenuous, and disinterested eye-witnesses; as by his Majesty's command it was taken, and is here set down.

But there is yet something behind which was necessary to be inserted into this Narrative, in reference to the preamble; and, as it tends to the utter dissolving of those oblique suspicions, which have any aspect on his Majesty's subjects, whether spectators, or others; and therefore it is to be taken notice, that, at the arrival of the Venetian Ambassador, some months since, the Ambassadors of France and Spain, intending to send both their coaches to introduce him, the Ambassador of Spain having before agreed with the Count de Soissons that they should assist at no public ceremonies, but upon all such casual encounters, pass on their way as they fortuned to meet; it had been wished that this expedient might still have taken place. But Monsieur d'Estrades having, it seems, received positive commands from his master,' that notwithstanding any such accord, he should nothing abate of his pretence, or the usual respect showed upon all such occasions, he insisted on putting this injunction of the king his master in execution, at arrival of the Swedish Ambassador. His Majesty, notwithstanding all the just pretences which he might have taken, reflecting on the disorders that might possibly arise in this city, in which for several nights he had been forced to place extraordinary guards; and, because he would not seem to take upon him the decision of this punctilio, in prejudice of either Ambassador, as his charitable interposition might be interpreted; his Majesty declaring himself withal no umpire in

1 ["I deem, therefore, that when once your coach has taken the place due to it immediately after the Swedish Ambassador's, your men must not leave it before it has reached the house of the said Ambassador, for fear that at the crossing of some street these Scotch and Irish rush in with might and main and stop you and let Watteville go" (Instructions of Louis to d'Estrades quoted in An Ambassador, etc., ut supra, p. 25).]

this unpleasing and invidious controversy, permitted that, both their coaches going, they might put their servants and dependents into such a posture as they should think fittest, and most becoming their respective pretences: but in the meantime commanded (upon pain of his highest displeasure), that none of his Majesty's subjects, of what degree soever, should presume to interpose in their differences. But in truth, the care of his officers, and especially that of Sir Charles Berkeley, captain of his Royal Highness's Lifeguard (which attended this service), was so eminent and particular, that they permitted not a man of the spectators so much as with a switch in his hand, whom they did not chastise severely.

As to that which some have refined upon, concerning the shower of bricks which fell in this contest (whether industriously placed there or no, for some others of the Spanish party assigned to that post), 'tis affirmed by the concurrent suffrage of all the spectators, that none of them were cast by any of his Majesty's subjects, till, being incensed by the wounds which they received from the shot which came in amongst them (and whereof some of them, 'tis said, are since dead), and not divining to what farther excess this new and unexpected compliment might rise, a few of the rabble, and such as stood on that side of the wharf, were forced to defend themselves with what they found at hand; and to which, 'tis reported, some of them were animated by a fresh remembrance of the treatment they received at Chelsea, and not long since in Covent-Garden, which might very well qualify this article from having anything of design that may reflect on their superiors; nor were it reasonable that they should stand charged for the rudeness of such sort of people, as in all countries upon like occasions and in such a confusion is inevitable. Those who observed the armed multitudes of French which rushed in near the chain on Tower-hill, issuing out of several houses there, and coming in such a tumultuous and indecent manner amongst the peaceable spectators, would have seen that, but for the temper of the officers, and presence of the Guards, into how great an inconveniency they had engaged themselves. Nor have they at all to accuse any for the ill success which attended, if the French would a little reflect upon the several advantages which their antagonists had consulted, to equal that by stratagem which they themselves had gained by numbers, and might still have preserved, with the least of circumspection.

It was evidently the conduct of the Spaniards, not their arms, which was decisive here; nor had his Majesty, or his people, the least part in it, but what the French have infinite obligations to; since, without this extraordinary indulgence and care to protect them, they had, in all probability, drawn a worse inconveniency upon them, by appearing with so little respect to the forms which are used upon all such

occasions.

There need, then, no other arguments to silence the mistakes which fly about, that his Majesty's subjects should have had so much as the least temptation to mingle in this contest, not only because they knew better what is their duty, for reverence to his Majesty's commands (which were now most express), and whose Guards were ready to interpose where any such inclination had in the least appeared, so as to do right to the good people spectators (whose curiosity on all such occasions compose no small part of these solemnities), that report which would signify their misbehaviour is an egregious mistake, and worthy to be reproved. Nor becomes it the French (of all the nations under Heaven) to suspect his Majesty of partiality in this affair, whose extraordinary civility to them, ever since his happy restoration, has appeared so signal, and is yet the greatest ingredient to this declaration, because by the disquisition of these impartial truths, he endeavours still to preserve it most inviolable.

Written by Evelyn underneath.

This, Sir, is what I was able to collect of that contest, by his Majesty's special command, from the Right Honourable Sir W. Compton, Master of the Ordnance of the Tower, and of his major present, of Sir Charles Berkeley, and several others, all there present, and from divers of the inhabitants and other spectators, whom I examined from house to house, from the spot where the dispute began, to Crutched Friars, where it ended. The rest of the reflections were special hints from his Majesty's own mouth, the first time I read it to him, which was the second day after the

contest.

Indorsed by Evelyn.-The contest 'twixt the French and Spanish Ambassadors on Tower-hill for Precedency.-Note, That copies of this were despatched to the Lord Ambassador in France, who was my Lord of St. Albans. Also, another

was written to be laid up and kept in the Paper Office, at Whitehall.1

1 [M. Jusserand (p. 28) quotes from another account with the following title:"A true relation of the manner of the dangerous dispute and bloody conflict betwixt the Spaniards and the French at Tower Wharfe and Tower Hill on Monday, September the 30th, 1661 (O.S.) . . . with the number killed and wounded on both sides. published for general satisfaction. Cf. also Pepys' Diary for Monday, 30th September. The final victory, however, remained with Louis XIV. Spain gave way to his remonstrances; Watteville was recalled; the French precedence established, and a French medal (the die of which still exists) struck to commemorate the result.]

APPENDIX VI

LETTERS OF JOHN EVELYN AND
ABRAHAM COWLEY

From John Evelyn to Abraham Cowley.

SAYES-COURT, 12th March, 1666-7.

SIR, You had reason to be astonished at the presumption, not to name it affront, that I who have so highly celebrated recess, and envied it in others, should become an advocate for the enemy, which of all others it abhors and flies from. I conjure you to believe that I am still of the same mind, and that there is no person alive who does more honour and breathe after the life and repose you so happily cultivate and adorn by your example: but, as those who praised dirt, a flea, and the gout, so have I Public Employment in that trifling Essay,' and that in so weak a style compared to my antagonist's, as by that alone it will appear I neither was nor could be serious; and I hope you believe I speak my very soul to you. But I have more to say, which will require your kindness. Suppose our good friend 2 were publishing some eulogies on the Royal Society, and, by deducing the original progress and advantages of their design, would bespeak it some veneration in the world? Has Mr. Cowley no inspirations for it? Would it not hang the most heroic wreath about his temples? Or can he desire a nobler or a fuller argument either for the softest airs or the loudest echoes, for the smoothest or briskest notes of his Pindaric lyre?

There be those who ask, What have the Royal Society

1 [See ante, p. 268.]

2

[Sprat. See ante, p. 192 n.]