SIR, Doctor Meric Casaubon to John Evelyn. January 24 1669-70. You might have had a more speedy answer to your kind letter, but that soon after the receipt of it, I feli into my ordinary distemper, which is the stone, but with more than ordinary extremities, which hath continued these three or four days already, and what will be the end, God knows; to whom, for either life or death, I heartily submit. Presently, after the reading of yours I set myself to search my father's Adversaria and papers, and after a little search I found a proper head, or title de Baculis, as an addition to what he had written upon Theophrastus: and under that title, many particular references to all kind of ancient authors, but so confusedly that I think no man but I that have been used to his hand and way, can make anything of it. There are two full sides in quarto. Sir, if God grant me life, or some respite from this present extremity, it shall be one of the first things I shall do to send you what he hath written, copied out in the same order as I found it. Whilst I was searching my father's papers, I lighted on a note concerning plants and trees, which I thought fit to impart unto you, because you tell me you have written of trees; you have it here inclosed. Besides this, I remember I have, but know not where to find it at this time, Wormij Literatura Danica, where, if I be not much mistaken, he hath somewhat de Baculis, there, or in some other treatise, I am pretty confident. Sir, I desire you to believe that I am very willing to serve any gentleman of your quality in so reasonable a request. But if you be that gentleman, as I suppose, who have set out the first book of Lucretius in English, I must needs confess myself much indebted to you, though I never had the opportunity to profess it, for that honourable mention which you were pleased to make of me in your preface. Whatsoever I should think of your work or translation, yet civility would engage me to say so much. But truly, sir, if you will believe me, who I think was never accounted a flatterer by them that have known me, my judgment is, that you have acquitted your self of that knotty business much better than I thought could be done by any man, though I think those excellent parts might deserve a more florid and proper subject: but I submit to your better judgment. Sir, it hath been some task to me to find so much free time to dictate so much: if there be any I desire you will be pleased to consider my case. thing impertinent my leave, and rest, REV. SIR, So I take Your very humble servant, John Evelyn to Dr. Meric Casaubon. Sayes-Court, Jan. 20, 1669-70. There was no danger I should forget to return you notice of the favour I yesterday received, where I find my obligations to you so much improved by the treasure they conveyed me; and that it is to you I am to owe the greatest and best of my subsidiaries. There are many things in your paper which formerly I had noted; but more which I should never have observed; and therefore, both for confirming my own, and adding so many more, and so excellent, I think myself sacredly engaged to publish my great acknowledgments, as becomes a beneficiary. As to the crude and hasty putting this trifle of mine abroad into the world, there is no danger; since I should thereby deprive myself of those other assistances which your generous bounty has in store for me: nor are those materials which lie by me brought into any tolerable order yet, as not intended for any work of labour, but refreshment, when I am tired with other more serious studies. Thus, Sir, you see me doubly 1 This Letter bears Casaubon's autograph signature, but the body of it is in another hand. 2 Among Evelyn's papers there exists a small fragment of this treatise in Latin, consisting only of two or three pages; it was evidently never finished. From an introductory paragraph, it would seem to have been intended as a jocular piece; but the small part which is written is grave and solemn enough. It begins at the beginning of the subject; the first staff mentioned being that which Jacob used when he met his brother Esau. VOL. III. obliged to return you my thanks for this great humanity of yours, and to implore the Divine goodness to restore you your health, who am, Rev. Sir, Yours, &c. Margaret, Duchess of Newcastle,' to John Evelyn. HONOURABLE SIR, Welbeck, February, 1670. I have by your bounty received a book, named a Discourse of Forest Trees: you have planted a forest full of delight and profit, and though it is large through number and variety, yet you have enclosed it with elegancy and eloquence, all which proves you more proper to be the head than a member of the Royal Society. The truth is, you are a person of singular virtues, for which all ought, as I do, admire you; and am your humble servant, MARGARET NEWCASTLE. My humble service, I pray, to your lady. The Reverend Nicholas Jameson (of Credwell, Wiltshire) to John Evelyn. HONOURED SIR, Credwell, 11th April, 1670. The delight I take in planting of trees and flowers hath often prompted unto me some little thoughts and designs concerning the raising of mulberries, which thoughts have been very much heightened and animated by the reading of some part of your most ingenious and excellent Discourse of Forest Trees; but by all the enquiry I could hitherto make by my friends about London for some seed of the whiter kind, which your book treats of, I have not hitherto been so happy as to procure any, nor indeed to meet with those who ever heard of any such mulberry or seed. Now, loth as I was to give over my design, and as 1 See Diary, vol. ii. p. 24, 25, 26, The reader need not be reminded that this high, fastastical Duchess was a great favourite with Charles Lamb, who has frequently commended her life of her husband as a perfect "jewel of a book." And see post, p. 344. loth to be presumptuous, yet at length those thoughts, to which you gave life, urged me to apply unto yourself, as their most proper patron and nourisher; and in their behalf I humbly beg that you would be pleased to give me some directions how, or by whom, such seed as I desire may be attained. Worthy Sir, I hope you will excuse my boldness; it ought to be considered that it is not likely that such persons as yourself should come so publicly abroad without getting much bold acquaintance; but not to add a second trespass by my tediousness, if this my confidence be thought worthy of a line or two in answer, be pleased to direct it to be left with Mr. Alestry, bookseller, at the Rose and Crown, in St. Paul's Churchyard, for Mr. Thomas Jameson, minister of God's word, at Hackney, near London, who will take care to send it to Your humble servant and real honourer, Philip Dumaresque to John Evelyn. WORTHY SIR, Jersey, 13th July, 1670. I have received yours by Mr. Sealemont, together with your excellent present, than which nothing could be more acceptable to me; who though naturally inclined to the things that make the subject of it, am much more moved by the manner of your handling of it; for certainly Sir, the want either of sincerity or true knowledge had hitherto much discouraged the trusting of books in the like nature, and the practice and experience of any single man being hardly able to attain so universal a knowledge, it was no wonder if planting was not so much in fashion before you were pleased to recollect that art in a body, and give it to the public, the like of which, I believe was never so sincerely and exactly performed, as far as my weak capacity will permit me to judge. I wonder, Sir, to understand of the great disorder your noble plantation hath received by the rigour of the winter; and it will encourage me somewhat here; having planted about a score of cypress trees I had from France and some borders of phylyrea Mr. Messeray gave me, whereof most parts were of slips, which thrive indifferently well, although planted between two very hard frosts, and the extreme dry season, the like of which was never seen here; for at Christmas last we could hardly find humour enough in the ground to plant, and springs which the memory of man had never known to fail have left their course; which hath confirmed me in the opinion they are generally produced from the winter rains, percolated through the hills and produced by the opposition either of clay or rocks, which are at the basis of all the earth I have yet seen in our country here, having been obliged, by my little experience to dig deeper in respect of the sea than ever it was known here, having never observed any upon the plains, unless it came from the neighbour hills. Pardon me, Sir, if the season hath occasioned me to trouble you with our want of water in the most watered country of the world for the bigness. I have this year began a little plantation of vineyard, encouraged by the translation of the French Gardener; but, as I understand, I am likely to be more troublesome to my friends, and, that which vexes me the more, about a thing doth not deserve it. I am obliged to sacrifice my rustic employment to the ambition of others; but one thing shall allay the inconvenience of the troublesome journey, that I shall have the honour to acknowledge in person the favours I have received during my last abode, and particularly from Sir Richard Browne and yourself and worthy lady; to whom I desire you to permit me to subscribe myself, Your most humble and obliged servant, John Evelyn to the Lord Treasurer (Sir Thomas Clifford.) Sayes-Court, 31st August, 1671. MY LORD, It is not my fault, but misfortune, that you have not ere this received a full account of the time which (by your particular favour to me) I acknowledge to be wholly yours: your Lordship has sometime since justified the queries which I first drew up, that they were material, and promised I should not want your assistance in the solution |