Stewart Books, John Evelyn's Diary 1675

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John Evelyn's Diary 1675 is in John Evelyn's Diary 1670s.

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20 Jan 1675. Went to see Mr. Streeter (age 54), that excellent painter of perspective and landscape, to comfort and encourage him to be cut for the stone, with which that honest man was exceedingly afflicted.

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22 Mar 1675. Supped at Sir William Petty's (age 51), with the Bishop of Salisbury, and divers honorable persons. We had a noble entertainment in a house gloriously furnished; the master and mistress (age 39) of it were extraordinary persons. Sir William was the son of a mean man somewhere in Sussex, and sent from school to Oxford, where he studied Philosophy, but was most eminent in Mathematics and Mechanics; proceeded Doctor of Physic, and was grown famous, as for his learning so for his recovering a poor wench that had been hanged for felony; and her body having been begged (as the custom is) for the anatomy lecture, he bled her, put her to bed to a warm woman, and, with spirits and other means, restored her to life. The young scholars joined and made a little portion, and married her to a man who had several children by her, she living fifteen years after, as I have been assured. Sir William came from Oxford to be tutor to a neighbor of mine; thence, when the rebels were dividing their conquests in Ireland, he was employed by them to measure and set out the land, which he did on an easy contract, so much per acre. This he effected so exactly, that it not only furnished him with a great sum of money; but enabled him to purchase an estate worth £4,000 a year. He afterward married the daughter of Sir Hardress Waller; she was an extraordinary wit as well as beauty, and a prudent woman.

22 Mar 1675. Sir William (age 51), among other inventions, was author of the double-bottomed ship, which perished, and he was censured for rashness, being lost in the Bay of Biscay in a storm, when, I think, fifteen other vessels miscarried. This vessel was flat-bottomed, of exceeding use to put into shallow ports, and ride over small depths of water. It consisted of two distinct keels cramped together with huge timbers, etc., so as that a violent stream ran between; it bore a monstrous broad sail, and he still persists that it is practicable, and of exceeding use; and he has often told me he would adventure himself in such another, could he procure sailors, and his Majesty's (age 44) permission to make a second Experiment; which name the King gave the vessel at the launching.

22 Mar 1675. The Map of Ireland made by Sir William Petty (age 51) is believed to be the most exact that ever yet was made of any country. He did promise to publish it; and I am told it has cost him near £1,000 to have it engraved at Amsterdam. There is not a better Latin poet living, when he gives himself that diversion; nor is his excellence less in Council and prudent matters of state; but he is so exceedingly nice in sifting and examining all possible contingencies, that he adventures at nothing which is not demonstration. There was not in the whole world his equal for a superintendent of manufacture and improvement of trade, or to govern a plantation. If I were a Prince, I should make him my second Counsellor, at least. There is nothing difficult to him. He is, besides, courageous; on which account, I cannot but note a true story of him, that when Sir Aleyn Brodrick sent him a challenge upon a difference between them in Ireland, Sir William, though exceedingly purblind, accepted the challenge, and it being his part to propound the weapon, desired his antagonist to meet him with a hatchet, or axe, in a dark cellar; which the other, of course, refused.

22 Mar 1675. Sir William (age 51) was, with all this, facetious and of easy conversation, friendly and courteous, and had such a faculty of imitating others, that he would take a text and preach, now like a grave orthodox divine, then falling into the Presbyterian way, then to the fanatical, the Quaker, the monk and friar, the Popish priest, with such admirable action, and alteration of voice and tone, as it was not possible to abstain from wonder, and one would swear to hear several persons, or forbear to think he was not in good earnest an enthusiast and almost beside himself; then, he would fall out of it into a serious discourse; but it was very rarely he would be prevailed on to oblige the company with this faculty, and that only among most intimate friends. My Lord Duke of Ormond (age 64) once obtained it of him, and was almost ravished with admiration; but by and by, he fell upon a serious reprimand of the faults and miscarriages of some Princes and Governors, which, though he named none, did so sensibly touch the Duke, who was then Lieutenant of Ireland, that he began to be very uneasy, and wished the spirit laid which he had raised, for he was neither able to endure such truths, nor could he but be delighted. At last, he melted his discourse to a ridiculous subject, and came down from the joint stool on which he had stood; but my lord would not have him preach any more. He never could get favor at Court, because he outwitted all the projectors that came near him. Having never known such another genius, I cannot but mention these particulars, among a multitude of others which I could produce. When I, who knew him in mean circumstances, have been in his splendid palace, he would himself be in admiration how he arrived at it; nor was it his value or inclination for splendid furniture and the curiosities of the age, but his elegant lady could endure nothing mean, or that was not magnificent. He was very negligent himself, and rather so of his person, and of a philosophic temper. "What a to-do is here!" would he say, "I can lie in straw with as much satisfaction"..

22 Mar 1675. He is author of the ingenious deductions from the bills of mortality, which go under the name of Mr. Graunt; also of that useful discourse of the manufacture of wool, and several others in the register of the Royal Society. He was also author of that paraphrase on the 104th Psalm in Latin verse, which goes about in MS., and is inimitable. In a word, there is nothing impenetrable to him.

26 Mar 1675. Dr. Brideoak (age 62) was elected Bishop of Chichester, on the translation of Dr. Gunning (age 61) to Ely.

30 Mar 1675. Dr. Allestree (age 53) preached on Romans, vi. 3, the necessity of those who are baptized to die to sin; a very excellent discourse from an excellent preacher.

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25 Apr 1675. Dr. Barrow (age 44), that excellent, pious, and most learned man, divine, mathematician, poet, traveler, and most humble person, preached at Whitehall Palace [Map] to the household, on Luke xx. 27 [Note. This reference should be Luke x. 27], of love and charity to our neighbors.

29 Apr 1675. I read my first discourse, "Of Earth and Vegetation", before the Royal Society as a lecture in course, after Sir Robert Southwell (age 39) had read his, the week before, "On Water". I was commanded by our President and the suffrage of the Society, to print it.

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16 May 1675. This day was my dear friend, Mrs. Blagg (age 22), married at the Temple Church [Map] to my friend, Mr. Sidney Godolphin (age 29), Groom of the Bedchamber to his Majesty (age 44).

18 May 1675. I went to visit one Mr. Bathurst, a Spanish merchant, my neighbor.

31 May 1675. I went with Lord Ossory (age 40) to Deptford, Kent [Map], where we chose him Master of the Trinity Company.

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02 Jun 1675. I was at a conference of the Lords and Commons in the Painted Chamber [Map], on a difference about imprisoning some of their members; and on the 3d, at another conference, when the Lords accused the Commons for their transcendent misbehavior, breach of privilege, Magna Charta, subversion of government, and other high, provoking, and diminishing expressions, showing what duties and subjection they owed to the Lords in Parliament, by record of Henry IV. This was likely to create a notable disturbance.

15 Jun 1675. This afternoon came Monsieur Querouaille (age 60) and his lady (age 50), parents to the famous beauty (age 25) and ... favorite at Court, to see Sir R. Browne, with whom they were intimately acquainted in Bretagne, at the time Sir Richard was sent to Brest to supervise his Majesty's (age 45) sea affairs, during the latter part of the King's banishment. This gentleman's house was not a mile from Brest; Sir Richard made an acquaintance there, and, being used very civilly, was obliged to return it here, which we did. He seemed a soldierly person and a good fellow, as the Bretons generally are; his lady had been very handsome, and seemed a shrewd understanding woman. Conversing with him in our garden, I found several words of the Breton language the same with our Welsh. His daughter was now made Duchess of Portsmouth, and in the height of favor; but he never made any use of it.

27 Jun 1675. At Ely House, I went to the consecration of my worthy friend, the learned Dr. Barlow (age 51), Warden of Queen's College, Oxford, now made Bishop of Lincoln. After it succeeded a magnificent feast, where were the Duke of Ormond (age 64), Earl of Lauderdale (age 59), the Lord Treasurer (age 43), Lord Keeper, etc.

Stewart Books, John Evelyn's Diary 1675, John Evelyn's Diary July 1675

08 Jul 1675. I went with Mrs. Howard (age 49) and her two daughters toward Northampton Assizes, about a trial at law, in which I was concerned for them as a trustee. We lay this night at Henley-on-the-Thames [Map], at our attorney, Mr. Stephens's, who entertained us very handsomely. Next day, dining at Shotover, Oxfordshire, at Sir Timothy Tyrill's (age 58), a sweet place, we lay at Oxford, where it was the time of the Act. Mr. Robert Spencer (age 46), uncle to the Earl of Sunderland (age 33), and my old acquaintance in France, entertained us at his apartment in Christ Church with exceeding generosity.

10 Jul 1675. The Vice Chancellor Dr. Bathurst (age 55) (who had formerly taken particular care of my son (age 20)), President of Trinity College invited me to dinner, and did me great honor all the time of my stay. The next day, he invited me and all my company, though strangers to him, to a very noble feast. I was at all the academic exercises.-Sunday, at St. Mary's, preached a Fellow of Brasen-nose, not a little magnifying the dignity of Churchmen.

11 Jul 1675. We heard the speeches, and saw the ceremony of creating doctors in Divinity, Law and Physic. I had, early in the morning, heard Dr. Morison, Botanic Professor, read on divers plants in the Physic Garden; and saw that rare collection of natural curiosities of Dr. Plot's, of Magdalen Hall, Oxford University, author of "The Natural History of Oxfordshire", all of them collected in that shire, and indeed extraordinary, that in one county there should be found such variety of plants, shells, stones, minerals, marcasites, fowls, insects, models of works, crystals, agates, and marbles. He was now intending to visit Staffordshire, and, as he had of Oxfordshire, to give us the natural, topical, political, and mechanical history. Pity it is that more of this industrious man's genius were not employed so to describe every county of England; it would be one of the most useful and illustrious works that was ever produced in any age or nation.

11 Jul 1675. I visited also the Bodleian Library and my old friend, the learned Obadiah Walker (age 59), head of University College, which he had now almost rebuilt, or repaired. We then proceeded to Northampton [Map], where we arrived the next day.

11 Jul 1675. In this journey, went part of the way Mr. James Graham (age 26) (since Privy Purse to the Duke (age 41)), a young gentleman exceedingly in love with Mrs. Dorothy Howard (age 24), one of the maids of honor in our company. I could not but pity them both, the mother not much favoring it. This lady was not only a great beauty, but a most virtuous and excellent creature, and worthy to have been wife to the best of men. My advice was required, and I spoke to the advantage of the young gentleman, more out of pity than that she deserved no better match; for, though he was a gentleman of good family, yet there was great inequality.

14 Jul 1675. I went to see my Lord Sunderland's (age 33) Seat at Althorpe [Map], four miles from the ragged town of Northampton [Map] (since burned, and well rebuilt). It is placed in a pretty open bottom, very finely watered and flanked with stately woods and groves in a park, with a canal, but the water is not running, which is a defect. The house, a kind of modern building, of freestone, within most nobly furnished; the apartments very commodious, a gallery and noble hall; but the kitchen being in the body of the house, and chapel too small, were defects. There is an old yet honorable gatehouse standing awry, and out-housing mean, but designed to be taken away. It was moated round, after the old manner, but it is now dry, and turfed with a beautiful carpet. Above all, are admirable and magnificent the several ample gardens furnished with the choicest fruit, and exquisitely kept. Great plenty of oranges, and other curiosities. The park full of fowl, especially herons, and from it a prospect to Holmby House, which being demolished in the late civil wars, shows like a Roman ruin shaded by the trees about it, a stately, solemn, and pleasing view.

15 Jul 1675. Our cause was pleaded in behalf of the mother, Mrs. Howard (age 49) and her daughters, before Baron Thurland (age 68), who had formerly been steward of Courts for me; we carried our cause, as there was reason, for here was an impudent as well as disobedient son (age 26) against his mother, by instigation, doubtless, of his wife, one Mrs. Ogle (age 23) (an ancient maid), whom he had clandestinely married, and who brought him no fortune, he being heir-apparent to the Earl of Berkshire (age 60) [Note. The reference to heir apparent is incorrect insofar as Charles Howard 2nd Earl Berkshire having a younger brother Thomas Howard 3rd Earl Berkshire (age 55) who did inherit the Earldom]. Craven in line to inherit in the event the 2nd or 3rd Earl didn't have issue which proved to be the case but Craven had died by that time so his son Henry Bowes Howard 4th Earl Berkshire 11th Earl Suffolk became the 4th Earl. We lay at Brickhill, Bedfordshire, in Bedfordshire, and came late the next day to our journey's end.

15 Jul 1675. This was a journey of adventures and knight-errantry. One of the lady's servants being as desperately in love with Mrs. Howard's (age 49) woman, as Mr. Graham (age 26) was with her daughter (age 24), and she riding on horseback behind his rival, the amorous and jealous youth having a little drink in his pate, had here killed himself had he not been prevented; for, alighting from his horse, and drawing his sword, he endeavored twice or thrice to fall on it, but was interrupted by our coachman, and a stranger passing by. After this, running to his rival, and snatching his sword from his side (for we had beaten his own out of his hand), and on the sudden pulling down his mistress, would have run both of them through; we parted them, not without some blood. This miserable creature poisoned himself for her not many days after they came to London.

19 Jul 1675. The Lord Treasurer's (age 43) Chaplain preached at Wallingford House.

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09 Aug 1675. Dr. Sprat (age 40), prebend of Westminster, and Chaplain to the Duke of Buckingham (age 47), preached on the 3d Epistle of Jude, showing what the primitive faith was, how near it and how excellent that of the Church of England, also the danger of departing from it.

27 Aug 1675. I visited the Bishop of Rochester (age 50), at Bromley, Kent, and dined at Sir Philip Warwick's (age 65), at Frogpoole.

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02 Sep 1675. I went to see Dulwich College, being the pious foundation of one Alleyn, a famous comedian, in King James's time. The chapel is pretty, the rest of the hospital very ill contrived; it yet maintains divers poor of both sexes. It is in a melancholy part of Camberwell parish. I came back by certain medicinal Spa waters, at a place called Sydenham Wells, in Lewisham parish, much frequented in summer.

10 Sep 1675. I was casually shown the Duchess of Portsmouth's (age 26) splendid apartment at Whitehall [Map], luxuriously furnished, and with ten times the richness and glory beyond the Queen's (age 36); such massy pieces of plate, whole tables, and stands of incredible icon.

29 Sep 1675. I saw the Italian Scaramuccio (age 66) act before the King (age 45) at Whitehall [Map], people giving money to come in, which was very scandalous, and never so before at Court diversions. Having seen him act before in Italy, many years past, I was not averse from seeing the most excellent of that kind of folly.

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14 Oct 1675. Dined at Kensington with my old acquaintance, Mr. Henshaw (age 57), newly returned from Denmark, where he had been left resident after the death of the Duke of Richmond, who died there Ambassador.

15 Oct 1675. I got an extreme cold, such as was afterward so epidemical, as not only to afflict us in this island, but was rife over all Europe, like a plague. It was after an exceedingly dry summer and autumn.

15 Oct 1675. I settled affairs, my son (age 20) being to go into France with my Lord Berkeley (age 47), designed Ambassador-extraordinary for France and Plenipotentiary for the general treaty of peace at Nimeguen.

24 Oct 1675. Dined at Lord Chamberlain's (age 57) with the Holland Ambassador L. Duras (age 34), a valiant gentleman whom his Majesty (age 45) made an English Baron, of a cadet, and gave him his seat of Holmby, in Northamptonshire.

27 Oct 1675. Lord Berkeley (age 47) coming into Council, fell down in the gallery at Whitehall [Map], in a fit of apoplexy, and being carried into my Lord Chamberlain's (age 57) lodgings, several famous doctors were employed all that night, and with much ado he was at last recovered to some sense, by applying hot fire pans and spirit of amber to his head; but nothing was found so effectual as cupping him on the shoulders. It was almost a miraculous restoration. The next day he was carried to Berkeley House [Map]. This stopped his journey for the present, and caused my stay in town. He had put all his affairs and his whole estate in England into my hands during his intended absence, which though I was very unfit to undertake, in regard of many businesses which then took me up, yet, upon the great importunity of my lady (age 23) and Mr. Godolphin (age 30) (to whom I could refuse nothing) I did take it on me. It seems when he was Deputy in Ireland, not long before, he had been much wronged by one he left in trust with his affairs, and therefore wished for some unmercenary friend who would take that trouble on him; this was to receive his rents, look after his houses and tenants, solicit supplies from the Lord Treasurer (age 43), and correspond weekly with him, more than enough to employ any drudge in England; but what will not friendship and love make one do?.

31 Oct 1675. Dined at my Lord Chamberlain's (age 57), with my son (age 20). There were the learned Isaac Vossius (age 57), and Spanhemius, son of the famous man of Heidelberg; nor was this gentleman less learned, being a general scholar. Among other pieces, he was author of an excellent treatise on Medals.

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10 Nov 1675. Being the day appointed for my Lord Ambassador (age 47) to set out, I met them with my coach at New Cross. There were with him my Lady his wife, and my dear friend, Mrs. Godolphin (age 23), who, out of an extraordinary friendship, would needs accompany my lady to Paris [Map], and stay with her some time, which was the chief inducement for permitting my son (age 20) to travel, but I knew him safe under her inspection, and in regard my Lord himself had promised to take him into his special favor, he having intrusted all he had to my care.

10 Nov 1675. Thus we set out three coaches (besides mine), three wagons, and about forty horses. It being late, and my Lord (age 47) as yet but valetudinary, we got but to Dartford, Kent [Map], the first day, the next to Sittingbourne, Kent [Map].

10 Nov 1675. At Rochester, Kent [Map], the major, Mr. Cony, then an officer of mine for the sick and wounded of that place, gave the ladies a handsome refreshment as we came by his house.

12 Nov 1675. We came to Canterbury, Kent [Map]: and, next morning, to Dover, Kent [Map].

12 Nov 1675. There was in my Lady Ambassadress's company my Lady Hamilton (age 70), a sprightly young lady, much in the good graces of the family, wife of that valiant and worthy gentleman, George Hamilton (age 68), not long after slain in the wars. She had been a maid of honor to the Duchess, and now turned Papist.

14 Nov 1675. Being Sunday, my Lord (age 47) having before delivered to me his letter of attorney, keys, seal, and his Will, we took a solemn leave of one another upon the beach, the coaches carrying them into the sea to the boats, which delivered them to Captain Gunman's (age 41) yacht, the "Mary". Being under sail, the castle gave them seventeen guns, which Captain Gunman answered with eleven. Hence, I went to church, to beg a blessing on their voyage.

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02 Dec 1675. Being returned home, I visited Baroness Mordaunt (age 43) at Parson's Green, my Lord, her son, being sick. This pious woman delivered to me £100 to bestow as I thought fit for the release of poor prisoners, and other charitable uses.

21 Dec 1675. Visited her Ladyship (age 43) again, where I found the Bishop of Winchester (age 77), whom I had long known in France; he invited me to his house at Chelsea.

23 Dec 1675. Lady Sunderland (age 34) gave me ten guineas, to bestow in charities.