for my faults, assistance and blessing for the future, that I might, in
some sort, be prepared for the time that now drew near, and not have the
great work to begin, when one can work no longer. The Lord Jesus help
and assist me! I therefore stirred little abroad till the 5th of
November, when I heard Dr. Tenison, the now vicar of St. Martin's; Dr.
Lloyd, the former incumbent, being made Bishop of St. Asaph.
7th November, 1680. I participated of the blessed Communion, finishing
and confirming my resolutions of giving myself up more entirely to God,
to whom I had now most solemnly devoted the rest of the poor remainder
of life in this world; the Lord enabling me, who am an unprofitable
servant, a miserable sinner, yet depending on his infinite goodness and
mercy accepting my endeavors.
15th November, 1680. Came to dine with us Sir Richard Anderson, his
lady, son and wife, sister to my daughter-in-law.
[Sidenote: LONDON]
30th November, 1680. The anniversary election at the Royal Society
brought me to London, where was chosen President that excellent person
and great philosopher, Mr. Robert Boyle, who indeed ought to have been
the very first; but neither his infirmity nor his modesty could now any
longer excuse him. I desired I might for this year be left out of the
Council, by reason my dwelling was in the country. The Society according
to custom dined together.
The signal day begun the trial (at which I was present) of my Lord
Viscount Stafford, (for conspiring the death of the King), second son to
my Lord Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Earl Marshal of
England, and grandfather to the present Duke of Norfolk, whom I so well
knew, and from which excellent person I received so many favors. It was
likewise his birthday, The trial was in Westminster Hall, before the
King, Lords, and Commons, just in the same manner as, forty years past,
the great and wise Earl of Strafford (there being but one letter
differing their names) received his trial for pretended ill government
in Ireland, in the very same place, this Lord Stafford's father being
then High Steward. The place of sitting was now exalted some
considerable height from the paved floor of the hall, with a stage of
boards. The throne, woolsacks for the Judges, long forms for the Peers,
chair for the Lord Steward, exactly ranged, as in the House of Lords.
The sides on both hands scaffolded to the very roof for the members of
the House of Commons. At the upper end, and on the right side of the
King's state, was a box for his Majesty, and on the left others for the
great ladies, and over head a gallery for ambassadors and public
ministers. At the lower end, or entrance, was a bar, and place for the
prisoner, the Lieutenant of the Tower of London, the ax-bearer and
guards, my Lord Stafford's two daughters, the Marchioness of Winchester
being one; there was likewise a box for my Lord to retire into. At the
right hand, in another box, somewhat higher, stood the witnesses; at the
left, the managers, in the name of the Commons of England, namely,
Serjeant Maynard (the great lawyer, the same who prosecuted the cause
against the Earl of Strafford forty years before, being now near eighty
years of age), Sir William Jones, late Attorney-General, Sir Francis
Winnington, a famous pleader, and Mr. Treby, now Recorder of London, not
appearing in their gowns as lawyers, but in their cloaks and swords, as
representing the Commons of England: to these were joined Mr. Hampden,
Dr. Sacheverell, Mr. Poule, Colonel Titus, Sir Thomas Lee, all gentlemen
of quality, and noted parliamentary men. The first two days, in which
were read the commission and impeachment, were but a tedious entrance
into matter of fact, at which I was but little present. But, on
Thursday, I was commodiously seated among the Commons, when the
witnesses were sworn and examined. The principal witnesses were Mr.
Oates (who called himself Dr.), Mr. Dugdale, and Turberville. Oates
swore that he delivered a commission to Viscount Stafford from the Pope,
to be Paymaster-General to an army intended to be raised; Dugdale, that
being at Lord Aston's, the prisoner dealt with him plainly to murder his
Majesty; and Turberville, that at Paris he also proposed the same to
him.
3d December, 1680. The depositions of my Lord's witnesses were taken, to
invalidate the King's witnesses; they were very slight persons, but,
being fifteen or sixteen, they took up all that day, and in truth they
rather did my Lord more injury than service.
4th December, 1680. Came other witnesses of the Commons to corroborate
the King's, some being Peers, some Commons, with others of good quality,
who took off all the former day's objections, and set the King's
witnesses _recti in curiâ_.
6th December, 1680. Sir William Jones summed up the evidence; to him
succeeded all the rest of the managers, and then Mr. Henry Poule made a
vehement oration. After this my Lord, as on all occasions, and often
during the trial, spoke in his own defense, denying the charge
altogether, and that he had never seen Oates, or Turberville, at the
time and manner affirmed: in truth, their testimony did little weigh
with me; Dugdale's only seemed to press hardest, to which my Lord spoke
a great while, but confusedly, without any method.
One thing my Lord said as to Oates, which I confess did exceedingly
affect me: That a person who during his depositions should so vauntingly
brag that though he went over to the Church of Rome, yet he was never a
Papist, nor of their religion, all the time that he seemed to apostatize
from the Protestant, but only as a spy; though he confessed he took
their sacrament; worshiped images, went through all their oaths and
discipline of their proselytes, swearing secrecy and to be faithful, but
with intent to come over again and betray them; that such a hypocrite,
that had so deeply prevaricated as even to turn idolater (for so we of
the Church of England termed it), attesting God so solemnly that he was
entirely theirs and devoted to their interest, and consequently (as he
pretended) trusted; I say, that the witness of such a profligate wretch
should be admitted against the life of a peer,--this my Lord looked upon
as a monstrous thing, and such as must needs redound to the dishonor of
our religion and nation. And verily I am of his Lordship's opinion: such
a man's testimony should not be taken against the life of a dog. But the
merit of something material which he discovered against Coleman, put him
in such esteem with the Parliament, that now, I fancy, he stuck at
nothing, and thought everybody was to take what he said for Gospel. The
consideration of this, and some other circumstances, began to stagger
me; particularly how it was possible that one who went among the Papists
on such a design, and pretended to be intrusted with so many letters and
commissions from the Pope and the party,--nay, and delivered them to so
many great persons,--should not reserve one of them to show, nor so much
as one copy of any commission, which he who had such dexterity in
opening letters might certainly have done, to the undeniable conviction
of those whom he accused; but, as I said, he gained credit on Coleman.
But, as to others whom he so madly flew upon, I am little inclined to
believe his testimony, he being so slight a person, so passionate, ill
bred, and of such impudent behavior; nor is it likely that such piercing
politicians as the Jesuits should trust him with so high and so
dangerous secrets.
7th December, 1680. On Tuesday, I was again at the trial, when judgment
was demanded; and, after my Lord had spoken what he could in denying the
fact, the managers answering the objections, the Peers adjourned to
their House, and within two hours returned again. There was, in the
meantime, this question put to the judges, "whether there being but one
witness to any single crime, or act, it could amount to convict a man of
treason." They gave an unanimous opinion that in case of treason they
all were overt acts for though no man should be condemned by one witness
for any one act, yet for several acts to the same intent, it was valid;
which was my Lord's case. This being past, and the Peers in their seats
again, the Lord Chancellor Finch (this day the Lord High-Steward)
removing to the woolsack next his Majesty's state, after summoning the
Lieutenant of the Tower to bring forth his prisoner, and proclamation
made for silence, demanded of every Peer (who were in all eighty-six)
whether William, Lord Viscount Stafford, were guilty of the treason laid
to his charge, or not guilty.
Then the Peer spoken to, standing up, and laying his right hand upon his
breast, said guilty, or not guilty, upon my honor, and then sat down,
the Lord Steward noting their suffrages as they answered upon a paper:
when all had done, the number of not guilty being but 31, the guilty 55;
and then, after proclamation for silence again, the Lord Steward
directing his speech to the prisoner, against whom the ax was turned
edgeways and not before, in aggravation of his crime, he being ennobled
by the King's father, and since received many favors from his present
Majesty: after enlarging on his offense, deploring first his own
unhappiness that he who had never condemned any man before should now be
necessitated to begin with him, he then pronounced sentence of death by
hanging, drawing, and quartering, according to form, with great
solemnity and dreadful gravity; and, after a short pause, told the
prisoner that he believed the Lords would intercede for the omission of
some circumstances of his sentence, beheading only excepted; and then
breaking his white staff, the Court was dissolved. My Lord Stafford
during all this latter part spoke but little, and only gave their
Lordships thanks after the sentence was pronounced; and indeed behaved
himself modestly, and as became him.
It was observed that all his own relations of his name and family
condemned him, except his nephew, the Earl of Arundel, son to the Duke
of Norfolk. And it must be acknowledged that the whole trial was carried
on with exceeding gravity: so stately and august an appearance I had
never seen before; for, besides the innumerable spectators of gentlemen
and foreign ministers, who saw and heard all the proceedings, the
prisoner had the consciences of all the Commons of England for his
accusers, and all the Peers to be his judges and jury. He had likewise
the assistance of what counsel he would, to direct him in his plea, who
stood by him. And yet I can hardly think that a person of his age and
experience should engage men whom he never saw before (and one of them
that came to visit him as a stranger at Paris) POINT BLANK to murder the
King: God only, who searches hearts, can discover the truth. Lord
Stafford was not a man beloved especially of his own family.
12th December, 1680. This evening, looking out of my chamber window
toward the west, I saw a meteor of an obscure bright color, very much in
shape like the blade of a sword, the rest of the sky very serene and
clear. What this may portend, God only knows; but such another
phenomenon I remember to have seen in 1640, about the trial of the great
Earl of Strafford, preceding our bloody Rebellion. I pray God avert his
judgments! We have had of late several comets, which though I believe
appear from natural causes, and of themselves operate not, yet I cannot
despise them. They may be warnings from God, as they commonly are
forerunners of his animadversions. After many days and nights of snow,
cloudy and dark weather, the comet was very much wasted.
17th December, 1680. My daughter-in-law was brought to bed of a son,
christened Richard.
22d December, 1680. A solemn public Fast that God would prevent all
Popish plots, avert his judgments, and give a blessing to the
proceedings of Parliament now assembled, and which struck at the
succession of the Duke of York.
29th December, 1680. The Viscount Stafford was beheaded on Towerhill.
10th February, 1680-81. I was at the wedding of my nephew, John Evelyn
of Wotton, married by the Bishop of Rochester at Westminster, in Henry
VII.'s chapel, to the daughter and heir of Mr. Eversfield, of Sussex,
her portion £8,000. The solemnity was kept with a few friends only at
Lady Beckford's, the lady's mother.
8th March, 1681. Visited and dined at the Earl of Essex's, with whom I
spent most of the afternoon alone. Thence to my (yet living) godmother
and kinswoman, Mrs. Keightley, sister to Sir Thomas Evelyn and niece to
my father, being now eighty-six years of age, sprightly, and in perfect
health, her eyes serving her as well as ever, and of a comely
countenance, that one would not suppose her above fifty.
27th March, 1681. The Parliament now convened at Oxford. Great
expectation of his Royal Highness's case as to the succession, against
which the House was set.
An extraordinary sharp, cold spring, not yet a leaf on the trees, frost
and snow lying: while the whole nation was in the greatest ferment.
11th April, 1681. I took my leave of Dr. Lloyd (Bishop of St. Asaph) at
his house in Leicester Fields, now going to reside in his diocese.
12th April, 1681. I dined at Mr. Brisbane's, Secretary to the Admiralty,
a learned and industrious person, whither came Dr. Burnet, to thank me
for some papers I had contributed toward his excellent "History of the
Reformation."
[Sidenote: LONDON]
26th April, 1681. I dined at Don Pietro Ronquillo's, the Spanish
Ambassador, at Wild House, who used me with extraordinary civility. The
dinner was plentiful, half after the Spanish, half after the English
way. After dinner, he led me into his bedchamber, where we fell into a
long discourse concerning religion. Though he was a learned man in
politics, and an advocate, he was very ignorant in religion, and unable
to defend any point of controversy; he was, however, far from being
fierce. At parting, he earnestly wished me to apply humbly to the
blessed virgin to direct me, assuring me that he had known divers who
had been averse from the Roman Catholic religion, wonderfully
enlightened and convinced by her intercession. He importuned me to come
and visit him often.
29th April, 1681. But one shower of rain all this month.
5th May, 1681. Came to dine with me Sir William Fermor, of
Northamptonshire, and Sir Christopher Wren, his Majesty's architect and
surveyor, now building the Cathedral of St. Paul, and the column in
memory of the city's conflagration, and was in hand with the building of
fifty parish churches. A wonderful genius had this incomparable person.
16th May, 1681. Came my Lady Sunderland, to desire that I would propose
a match to Sir Stephen Fox for her son, Lord Spencer, to marry Mrs.
Jane, Sir Stephen's daughter. I excused myself all I was able; for the
truth is, I was afraid he would prove an extravagant man: for, though a
youth of extraordinary parts, and had an excellent education to render
him a worthy man, yet his early inclinations to extravagance made me
apprehensive, that I should not serve Sir Stephen by proposing it, like
a friend; this being now his only daughter, well-bred, and likely to
receive a large share of her father's opulence. Lord Sunderland was much
sunk in his estate by gaming and other prodigalities, and was now no
longer Secretary of State, having fallen into displeasure of the King
for siding with the Commons about the succession; but which, I am
assured, he did not do out of his own inclination, or for the
preservation of the Protestant religion, but by mistaking the ability of
the party to carry it. However, so earnest and importunate was the
Countess, that I did mention it to Sir Stephen, who said it was too
great an honor, that his daughter was very young, as well as my Lord,
and he was resolved never to marry her without the parties' mutual
liking; with other objections which I neither would or could contradict.
He desired me to express to the Countess the great sense he had of the
honor done him, that his daughter and her son were too young, that he
would do nothing without her liking, which he did not think her capable
of expressing judiciously, till she was sixteen or seventeen years of
age, of which she now wanted four years, and that I would put it off as
civilly as I could.
20th May, 1681. Our new curate preached, a pretty hopeful young man, yet
somewhat raw, newly come from college, full of Latin sentences, which in
time will wear off. He read prayers very well.
25th May, 1681. There came to visit me Sir William Walter and Sir John
Elowes: and the next day, the Earl of Kildare, a young gentleman related
to my wife, and other company. There had scarce fallen any rain since
Christmas.
2d June, 1681. I went to Hampton Court, when the Surrey gentlemen
presented their addresses to his Majesty, whose hand I kissed,
introduced by the Duke of Albemarle. Being at the Privy Council, I took
another occasion of discoursing with Sir Stephen Fox about his daughter
and to revive that business, and at least brought it to this: That in
case the young people liked one the other, after four years, he first
desiring to see a particular of my Lord's present estate if I could
transmit it to him privately, he would make her portion £14,000, though
to all appearance he might likely make it £50,000 as easily, his eldest
son having no child and growing very corpulent.
12th June, 1681. It still continued so great a drought as had never been
known in England, and it was said to be universal.
14th August, 1681. No sermon this afternoon, which I think did not
happen twice in this parish these thirty years; so gracious has God been
to it, and indeed to the whole nation: God grant that we abuse not this
great privilege either by our wantonness, schism, or unfaithfulness,
under such means as he has not favored any other nation under Heaven
besides!
[Sidenote: WOTTON]
23d August, 1681. I went to Wotton, and, on the following day, was
invited to Mr. Denzil Onslow's at his seat at Purford, where was much
company, and such an extraordinary feast, as I had hardly seen at any
country gentleman's table. What made it more remarkable was, that there
was not anything save what his estate about it did afford; as venison,
rabbits, hares, pheasants, partridges, pigeons, quails, poultry, all
sorts of fowl in season from his own decoy near his house, and all sorts
of fresh fish. After dinner we went to see sport at the decoy, where I
never saw so many herons.
The seat stands on a flat, the ground pasture, rarely watered, and
exceedingly improved since Mr. Onslow bought it of Sir Robert Parkhurst,
who spent a fair estate. The house is timber, but commodious, and with
one ample dining-room, the hall adorned with paintings of fowl and
huntings, etc., the work of Mr. Barlow, who is excellent in this kind
from the life.
30th August, 1681. From Wotton I went to see Mr. Hussey (at Sutton in
Shere), who has a very pretty seat well watered, near my brother's. He
is the neatest husband for curious ordering his domestic and field
accommodations, and what pertains to husbandry, that I have ever seen,
as to his granaries, tacklings, tools, and utensils, plows, carts,
stables, wood piles, wood houses, even to hen roosts and hog troughs.
Methought, I saw old Cato, or Varro, in him; all substantial, all in
exact order. The sole inconvenience he lies under, is the great quantity
of sand which the stream brings along with it, and fills his canals and
receptacles for fish too soon. The rest of my time of stay at Wotton was
spent in walking about the grounds and goodly woods, where I have in my
youth so often entertained my solitude; and so, on the 2d of September,
I once more returned to my home.
6th September, 1681. Died my pretty grandchild, and was interred on the
8th [at Deptford].
14th September, 1681. Dined with Sir Stephen Fox, who proposed to me the
purchasing of Chelsea College, which his Majesty had sometime since
given to our Society, and would now purchase it again to build a
hospital; or infirmary for soldiers there, in which he desired my
assistance as one of the Council of the Royal Society.
15th September, 1681. I had another opportunity of visiting his
Majesty's private library at Whitehall.
To Sir Samuel Morland's, to see his house and mechanics.
17th September, 1681. I went with Monsieur Faubert about taking the
Countess of Bristol's house for an academy, he being lately come from
Paris for his religion, and resolving to settle here.
23d September, 1681. I went to see Sir Thomas Bond's fine house and
garden at Peckham.
2d October, 1681. I went to Camberwell, where that good man Dr. Parr
(late chaplain to Archbishop Usher) preached on Acts xvi. 30.
11th October, 1681. To Fulham, to visit the Bishop of London, in whose
garden I first saw the _Sedum arborescens_ in flower, which was
exceedingly beautiful.
5th November, 1681. Dr. Hooper preached on Mark xii. 16, 17, before the
King, of the usurpation of the Church of Rome. This is one of the first
rank of pulpit men in the nation.
15th November, 1681. I dined with the Earl of Essex who, after dinner
in his study, where we were alone, related to me how much he had been
scandalized and injured in the report of his being privy to the marriage
of his Lady's niece, the rich young widow of the late Lord Ogle, sole
daughter of the Earl of Northumberland; showing me a letter of Mr.
Thynn's, excusing himself for not communicating his marriage to his
Lordship. He acquainted me also with the whole story of that unfortunate
lady being betrayed by her grandmother, the Countess of Northumberland,
and Colonel Bret, for money; and that though, upon the importunity of
the Duke of Monmouth, he had delivered to the grandmother a particular
of the jointure which Mr. Thynn pretended he would settle on the lady,
yet he totally discouraged the proceeding as by no means a competent
match for one that both by birth and fortune might have pretended to the
greatest prince in Christendom; that he also proposed the Earl of
Kingston, or the Lord Cranburn, but was by no means for Mr. Thynn.
[Sidenote: LONDON]
19th November, 1681. I dined with my worthy friend, Mr. Erskine, Master
of the Charter House, uncle to the Duchess of Monmouth; a wise and
learned gentleman, fitter to have been a privy councillor and minister
of state than to have been laid aside.
24th November, 1681. I was at the audience of the Russian Ambassador
before both their Majesties in the Banqueting House. The presents were
carried before him, held up by his followers in two ranks before the
King's State, and consisted of tapestry (one suite of which was
doubtlessly brought from France as being of that fabric, the Ambassador
having passed through that kingdom as he came out of Spain), a large
Persian carpet, furs of sable and ermine, etc.; but nothing was so
splendid and exotic as the Ambassador who came soon after the King's
restoration. This present Ambassador was exceedingly offended that his
coach was not permitted to come into the Court, till, being told that no
King's Ambassador did, he was pacified, yet requiring an attestation of
it under the hand of Sir Charles Cotterell, the Master of the
Ceremonies; being, it seems, afraid he should offend his Master, if he
omitted the least punctilio. It was reported he condemned his son to
lose his head for shaving off his beard, and putting himself in the
French mode at Paris, and that he would have executed it, had not the
French King interceded--but qy. of this.
30th November, 1681. Sir Christopher Wren chosen President [of the Royal
Society], Mr. Austine, Secretary, with Dr. Plot, the ingenious author of
the "History of Oxfordshire." There was a most illustrious appearance.