in Montgomeryshire a furlong broad, and many miles in length, burning
all straw, hay, thatch, and grass, but doing no harm to trees, timber,
or any solid things, only firing barns, or thatched houses. It left such
a taint on the grass as to kill all the cattle that eat of it. I saw the
attestations in the hands of the sufferers. It lasted many months. "The
Berkeley Castle" sunk by the French coming from the East Indies, worth
£200,000. The French took our castle of Gamboo in Guinea, so that the
Africa Actions fell to £30, and the India to £80. Some regiments of
Highland Dragoons were on their march through England; they were of
large stature, well appointed and disciplined. One of them having
reproached a Dutchman for cowardice in our late fight, was attacked by
two Dutchmen, when with his sword he struck off the head of one, and
cleft the skull of the other down to his chin.
A very young gentleman named Wilson, the younger son of one who had not
above £200 a year estate, lived in the garb and equipage of the richest
nobleman, for house, furniture, coaches, saddle horses, and kept a
table, and all things accordingly, redeemed his father's estate, and
gave portions to his sisters, being challenged by one Laws, a Scotchman,
was killed in a duel, not fairly. The quarrel arose from his taking away
his own sister from lodging in a house where this Laws had a mistress,
which the mistress of the house thinking a disparagement to it, and
losing by it, instigated Laws to this duel. He was taken and condemned
for murder. The mystery is how this so young a gentleman, very sober and
of good fame, could live in such an expensive manner; it could not be
discovered by all possible industry, or entreaty of his friends to make
him reveal it. It did not appear that he was kept by women, play,
coining, padding, or dealing in chemistry; but he would sometimes say
that if he should live ever so long, he had wherewith to maintain
himself in the same manner. He was very civil and well-natured, but of
no great force of understanding. This was a subject of much discourse.
24th April, 1694. I went to visit Mr. Waller, an extraordinary young
gentleman of great accomplishments, skilled in mathematics, anatomy,
music, painting both in oil and miniature to great perfection, an
excellent botanist, a rare engraver on brass, writer in Latin, and a
poet; and with all this exceedingly modest. His house is an academy of
itself. I carried him to see Brompton Park [by Knightsbridge], where he
was in admiration at the store of rare plants, and the method he found
in that noble nursery, and how well it was cultivated. A public Bank of
£140,000, set up by Act of Parliament among other Acts, and Lotteries
for money to carry on the war. The whole month of April without rain. A
great rising of people in Buckinghamshire, on the declaration of a
famous preacher, till now reputed a sober and religious man, that our
Lord Christ appearing to him on the 16th of this month, told him he was
now come down, and would appear publicly at Pentecost, and gather all
the saints, Jews and Gentiles, and lead them to Jerusalem, and begin the
Millennium, and destroying and judging the wicked, deliver the
government of the world to the saints. Great multitudes followed this
preacher, divers of the most zealous brought their goods and
considerable sums of money, and began to live in imitation of the
primitive saints, minding no private concerns, continually dancing and
singing Hallelujah night and day. This brings to mind what I lately
happened to find in Alstedius, that the thousand years should begin this
very year 1694; it is in his "Encyclopædia Biblica." My copy of the book
printed near sixty years ago.
[Sidenote: WOTTON]
4th May, 1694. I went this day with my wife and four servants from Sayes
Court, removing much furniture of all sorts, books, pictures, hangings,
bedding, etc., to furnish the apartment my brother assigned me, and now,
after more than forty years, to spend the rest of my days with him at
Wotton, where I was born; leaving my house at Deptford full furnished,
and three servants, to my son-in-law Draper, to pass the summer in, and
such longer time as he should think fit to make use of it.
6th May, 1694. This being the first Sunday in the month, the blessed
sacrament of the Lord's Supper ought to have been celebrated at Wotton
church, but in this parish it is exceedingly neglected, so that, unless
at the four great feasts, there is no communion hereabouts; which is a
great fault both in ministers and people. I have spoken to my brother,
who is the patron, to discourse the minister about it. Scarcely one
shower has fallen since the beginning of April.
30th May, 1694. This week we had news of my Lord Tiviot having cut his
own throat, through what discontent not yet said. He had been, not many
years past, my colleague in the commission of the Privy Seal, in old
acquaintance, very soberly and religiously inclined. Lord, what are we
without thy continual grace!
Lord Falkland, grandson to the learned Lord Falkland, Secretary of State
to King Charles I., and slain in his service, died now of the smallpox.
He was a pretty, brisk, understanding, industrious young gentleman; had
formerly been faulty, but now much reclaimed; had also the good luck to
marry a very great fortune, besides being entitled to a vast sum, his
share of the Spanish wreck, taken up at the expense of divers
adventurers. From a Scotch Viscount he was made an English Baron,
designed Ambassador for Holland; had been Treasurer of the Navy, and
advancing extremely in the new Court. All now gone in a moment, and I
think the title is extinct. I know not whether the estate devolves to my
cousin Carew. It was at my Lord Falkland's, whose lady importuned us to
let our daughter be with her some time, so that that dear child took the
same infection, which cost her valuable life.
3d June, 1694. Mr. Edwards, minister of Denton, in Sussex, a living in
my brother's gift, came to see him. He had suffered much by a fire.
Seasonable showers.
14th June, 1694. The public fast. Mr. Wotton, that extraordinary learned
young man, preached excellently.
1st July, 1694. Mr. Duncomb, minister of Albury, preached at Wotton, a
very religious and exact discourse.
The first great bank for a fund of money being now established by Act of
Parliament, was filled and completed to the sum of £120,000, and put
under the government of the most able and wealthy citizens of London.
All who adventured any sum had four per cent., so long as it lay in the
bank, and had power either to take it out at pleasure, or transfer it.
Glorious steady weather; corn and all fruits in extraordinary plenty
generally.
13th July, 1694. Lord Berkeley burnt Dieppe and Havre de Grace with
bombs, in revenge for the defeat at Brest. This manner of destructive
war was begun by the French, is exceedingly ruinous, especially falling
on the poorer people, and does not seem to tend to make a more speedy
end of the war; but rather to exasperate and incite to revenge. Many
executed at London for clipping money, now done to that intolerable
extent, that there was hardly any money that was worth above half the
nominal value.
4th August, 1694. I went to visit my cousin, George Evelyn of Nutfield,
where I found a family of ten children, five sons and five
daughters--all beautiful women grown, and extremely well-fashioned. All
painted in one piece, very well, by Mr. Lutterell, in crayon on copper,
and seeming to be as finely painted as the best miniature. They are the
children of two extraordinary beautiful wives. The boys were at school.
5th August, 1694. Stormy and unseasonable wet weather this week.
[Sidenote: LONDON]
5th October, 1694. I went to St. Paul's to see the choir, now finished
as to the stone work, and the scaffold struck both without and within,
in that part. Some exceptions might perhaps be taken as to the placing
columns on pilasters at the east tribunal. As to the rest it is a piece
of architecture without reproach. The pulling out the forms, like
drawers, from under the stalls, is ingenious. I went also to see the
building beginning near St. Giles's, where seven streets make a star
from a Doric pillar placed in the middle of a circular area; said to be
built by Mr. Neale, introducer of the late lotteries, in imitation of
those at Venice, now set up here, for himself twice, and now one for the
State.
28th October, 1694. Mr. Stringfellow preached at Trinity church.
22d November, 1694. Visited the Bishop of Lincoln [Tenison] newly come
on the death of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who a few days before had
a paralytic stroke,--the same day and month that Archbishop Sancroft was
put out. A very sickly time, especially the smallpox, of which divers
considerable persons died. The State lottery[81] drawing, Mr. Cock, a
French refugee, and a President in the Parliament of Paris for the
Reformed, drew a lot of £1,000 per annum.
[Footnote 81: State lotteries finally closed October 18, 1826.]
29th November, 1694. I visited the Marquis of Normanby, and had much
discourse concerning King Charles II. being poisoned. Also concerning
the _quinquina_ which the physicians would not give to the King, at a
time when, in a dangerous ague, it was the only thing that could cure
him (out of envy because it had been brought into vogue by Mr. Tudor, an
apothecary), till Dr. Short, to whom the King sent to know his opinion
of it privately, he being reputed a Papist (but who was in truth a very
honest, good Christian), sent word to the King that it was the only
thing which could save his life, and then the King enjoined his
physicians to give it to him, which they did and he recovered. Being
asked by this Lord why they would not prescribe it, Dr. Lower said it
would spoil their practice, or some such expression, and at last
confessed it was a remedy fit only for kings. Exception was taken that
the late Archbishop did not cause any of his Chaplains to use any office
for the sick during his illness.
9th December, 1694. I had news that my dear and worthy friend, Dr.
Tenison, Bishop of Lincoln, was made Archbishop of Canterbury, for which
I thank God and rejoice, he being most worthy of it, for his learning,
piety, and prudence.
13th December, 1694. I went to London to congratulate him. He being my
proxy, gave my vote for Dr. Williams, to succeed Mr. Bentley in Mr.
Boyle's lectures.
29th December, 1694. The smallpox increased exceedingly, and was very
mortal. The Queen died of it on the 28th.
13th January, 1694-95. The Thames was frozen over. The deaths by
smallpox increased to five hundred more than in the preceding week. The
King and Princess Anne reconciled, and she was invited to keep her Court
at Whitehall, having hitherto lived privately at Berkeley House; she was
desired to take into her family divers servants of the late Queen; to
maintain them the King has assigned her £5,000 a quarter.
20th January, 1695. The frost and continual snow have now lasted five
weeks.
February, 1695. Lord Spencer married the Duke of Newcastle's daughter,
and our neighbor, Mr. Hussey, married a daughter of my cousin, George
Evelyn, of Nutfield.
3d February, 1695. The long frost intermitted, but not gone.
17th February, 1695. Called to London by Lord Godolphin, one of the
Lords of the Treasury, offering me the treasurership of the hospital
designed to be built at Greenwich for worn-out seamen.
24th February, 1695. I saw the Queen lie in state.
27th February, 1695. The Marquis of Normanby told me King Charles had a
design to buy all King Street, and build it nobly, it being the street
leading to Westminster. This might have been done for the expense of the
Queen's funeral, which was £50,000, against her desire.
5th March, 1695. I went to see the ceremony. Never was so universal a
mourning; all the Parliament men had cloaks given them, and four hundred
poor women; all the streets hung and the middle of the street boarded
and covered with black cloth. There were all the nobility, mayor,
aldermen, judges, etc.
8th March, 1695. I supped at the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry's,
who related to me the pious behavior of the Queen in all her sickness,
which was admirable. She never inquired of what opinion persons were,
who were objects of charity; that, on opening a cabinet, a paper was
found wherein she had desired that her body might not be opened, or any
extraordinary expense at her funeral, whenever she should die. This
paper was not found in time to be observed. There were other excellent
things under her own hand, to the very least of her debts, which were
very small, and everything in that exact method, as seldom is found in
any private person. In sum, she was such an admirable woman, abating for
taking the Crown without a more due apology, as does, if possible, outdo
the renowned Queen Elizabeth.
10th March, 1695. I dined at the Earl of Sunderland's with Lord Spencer.
My Lord showed me his library, now again improved by many books bought
at the sale of Sir Charles Scarborough, an eminent physician, which was
the very best collection, especially of mathematical books, that was I
believe in Europe, once designed for the King's Library at St. James's;
but the Queen dying, who was the great patroness of that design, it was
let fall, and the books were miserably dissipated.
The new edition of Camden's "Britannia" was now published (by Bishop
Gibson), with great additions; those to Surrey were mine, so that I had
one presented to me. Dr. Gale showed me a MS. of some parts of the New
Testament in vulgar Latin, that had belonged to a monastery in the North
of Scotland, which he esteemed to be about eight hundred years old;
there were some considerable various readings observable, as in John i.,
and genealogy of St. Luke.
24th March, 1695. EASTER DAY. Mr. Duncomb, parson of this parish,
preached, which he hardly comes to above once a year though but seven or
eight miles off; a florid discourse, read out of his notes. The Holy
Sacrament followed, which he administered with very little reverence,
leaving out many prayers and exhortations; nor was there any oblation.
This ought to be reformed, but my good brother did not well consider
when he gave away this living and the next [Abinger].
March, 1695. The latter end of the month sharp and severely cold, with
much snow and hard frost; no appearance of spring.
31st March, 1695. Mr. Lucas preached in the afternoon at Wotton.
[Sidenote: LONDON]
7th April, 1695. Lord Halifax died suddenly at London, the day his
daughter was married to the Earl of Nottingham's son at Burleigh. Lord
H. was a very rich man, very witty, and in his younger days somewhat
positive.
14th April, 1695. After a most severe, cold, and snowy winter, without
almost any shower for many months, the wind continuing N. and E. and not
a leaf appearing; the weather and wind now changed, some showers fell,
and there was a remission of cold.
21st April, 1695. The spring begins to appear, yet the trees hardly
leafed. Sir T. Cooke discovers what prodigious bribes have been given by
some of the East India Company out of the stock, which makes a great
clamor. Never were so many private bills passed for unsettling estates,
showing the wonderful prodigality and decay of families.
5th May, 1695. I came to Deptford from Wotton, in order to the first
meeting of the Commissioners for endowing an hospital for seamen at
Greenwich; it was at the Guildhall, London. Present, the Archbishop of
Canterbury, Lord Keeper, Lord Privy Seal, Lord Godolphin, Duke of
Shrewsbury, Duke of Leeds, Earls of Dorset and Monmouth, Commissioners
of the Admiralty and Navy, Sir Robert Clayton, Sir Christopher Wren, and
several more. The Commission was read by Mr. Lowndes, Secretary to the
Lords of the Treasury, Surveyor-General.
17th May, 1695. Second meeting of the Commissioners, and a committee
appointed to go to Greenwich to survey the place, I being one of them.
21st May, 1695. We went to survey Greenwich, Sir Robert Clayton, Sir
Christopher Wren, Mr. Travers, the King's Surveyor, Captain Sanders, and
myself.
24th May, 1695. We made report of the state of Greenwich house, and how
the standing part might be made serviceable at present for £6,000, and
what ground would be requisite for the whole design. My Lord Keeper
ordered me to prepare a book for subscriptions, and a preamble to it.
31st May, 1695. Met again. Mr. Vanbrugh was made secretary to the
commission, by my nomination of him to the Lords, which was all done
that day.
7th June, 1695. The commissioners met at Guildhall, when there were
scruples and contests of the Lord Mayor, who would not meet, not being
named as one of the quorum, so that a new commission was required,
though the Lord Keeper and the rest thought it too nice a punctilio.
14th May, 1695. Met at Guildhall, but could do nothing for want of a
quorum.
5th July, 1695. At Guildhall; account of subscriptions, about £7,000 or
£8,000.
6th July, 1695. I dined at Lambeth, making my first visit to the
Archbishop, where there was much company, and great cheer. After prayers
in the evening, my Lord made me stay to show me his house, furniture,
and garden, which were all very fine, and far beyond the usual
Archbishops, not as affected by this, but being bought ready furnished
by his predecessor. We discoursed of several public matters,
particularly of the Princess of Denmark, who made so little figure.
11th July, 1695. Met at Guildhall; not a full committee, so nothing
done.
14th July, 1695. No sermon at church; but, after prayers, the names of
all the parishioners were read, in order to gathering the tax of 4s. for
marriages, burials, etc. A very imprudent tax, especially this reading
the names, so that most went out of the church.
[Sidenote: WOTTON]
19th July, 1695. I dined at Sir Purbeck Temple's, near Croydon; his lady
is aunt to my son-in-law, Draper; the house exactly furnished. Went
thence with my son and daughter to Wotton. At Wotton, Mr. Duncomb,
parson of Albury, preached excellently.
28th July, 1695. A very wet season.
11th August, 1695. The weather now so cold, that greater frosts were not
always seen in the midst of winter; this succeeded much wet, and set
harvest extremely back.
25th September, 1695. Mr. Offley preached at Abinger; too much
controversy on a point of no consequence, for the country people here.
This was the first time I had heard him preach. Bombarding of Cadiz; a
cruel and brutish way of making war, first began by the French. The
season wet, great storms, unseasonable harvest weather. My good and
worthy friend, Captain Gifford, who that he might get some competence to
live decently, adventured all he had in a voyage of two years to the
East Indies, was, with another great ship, taken by some French
men-of-war, almost within sight of England, to the loss of near £70,000,
to my great sorrow, and pity of his wife, he being also a valiant and
industrious man. The losses of this sort to the nation have been
immense, and all through negligence, and little care to secure the same
near our own coasts; of infinitely more concern to the public than
spending their time in bombarding and ruining two or three paltry towns,
without any benefit, or weakening our enemies, who, though they began,
ought not to be imitated in an action totally averse to humanity, or
Christianity.
29th September, 1695. Very cold weather. Sir Purbeck Temple, uncle to my
son Draper, died suddenly. A great funeral at Addiscombe. His lady being
own aunt to my son Draper, he hopes for a good fortune, there being no
heir. There had been a new meeting of the commissioners about Greenwich
hospital, on the new commission, where the Lord Mayor, etc. appeared,
but I was prevented by indisposition from attending. The weather very
sharp, winter approaching apace. The King went a progress into the
north, to show himself to the people against the elections, and was
everywhere complimented, except at Oxford, where it was not as he
expected, so that he hardly stopped an hour there, and having seen the
theater, did not receive the banquet proposed. I dined with Dr. Gale at
St. Paul's school, who showed me many curious passages out of some
ancient Platonists' MSS. concerning the Trinity, which this great and
learned person would publish, with many other rare things, if he was
encouraged, and eased of the burden of teaching.
25th October, 1695. The Archbishop and myself went to Hammersmith, to
visit Sir Samuel Morland, who was entirely blind; a very mortifying
sight. He showed us his invention of writing, which was very ingenious;
also his wooden calendar, which instructed him all by feeling; and other
pretty and useful inventions of mills, pumps, etc., and the pump he had
erected that serves water to his garden, and to passengers, with an
inscription, and brings from a filthy part of the Thames near it a most
perfect and pure water. He had newly buried £200 worth of music books
six feet under ground, being, as he said, love songs and vanity. He
plays himself psalms and religious hymns on the theorbo. Very mild
weather the whole of October.
[Sidenote: LONDON]
10th November, 1695. Mr. Stanhope, Vicar of Lewisham, preached at
Whitehall. He is one of the most accomplished preachers I ever heard,
for matter, eloquence, action, voice, and I am told, of excellent
conversation.
13th November, 1695. Famous fireworks and very chargeable, the King
being returned from his progress. He stayed seven or eight days at Lord
Sunderland's at Althorpe, where he was mightily entertained. These
fireworks were shown before Lord Romney, master of the ordnance, in St.
James's great square, where the King stood.
17th November, 1695. I spoke to the Archbishop of Canterbury to interest
himself for restoring a room belonging to St. James's library, where the
books want place.
21st November, 1695. I went to see Mr. Churchill's collection of
rarities.
23d November, 1695. To Lambeth, to get Mr. Williams continued in Boyle's
lectures another year. Among others who dined there was Dr. Covel, the
great Oriental traveler.
1st December, 1695. I dined at Lord Sunderland's, now the great favorite
and underhand politician, but not adventuring on any character, being
obnoxious to the people for having twice changed his religion.
23d December, 1695. The Parliament wondrously intent on ways to reform
the coin; setting out a Proclamation prohibiting the currency of
half-crowns, etc., which made much confusion among the people.
25th December, 1695. Hitherto mild, dark, misty, weather. Now snow and
frost.
12th January, 1695-96. Great confusion and distraction by reason of the
clipped money, and the difficulty found in reforming it.
2d February, 1696. An extraordinary wet season, though temperate as to
cold. The "Royal Sovereign" man-of-war burned at Chatham. It was built
in 1637, and having given occasion to the levy of ship money was perhaps
the cause of all the after troubles to this day. An earthquake in
Dorsetshire by Portland, or rather a sinking of the ground suddenly for
a large space, near the quarries of stone, hindering the conveyance of
that material for the finishing St. Paul's.
23d February, 1696. They now began to coin new money.