in estimation of the world; and you will find the comfort of it, when all this noise and hurry shall vanish as a dream, and leave nothing to support us in time of need. I am persuaded you often make these reflections, from your own great judgment and experiences of the vicissitudes of things present, and prospect of future, which is only worth our solicitude. I am, &c. John Evelyn to the Viceroy of Ireland (Lord Clarendon). Sayes-Court, Sept. 1686. MY LORD, I had ere this given your Excellency my most humble thanks for yours of the 7th past, but that I was expecting the event of some extraordinary things, then in suspense; and when I have said this, I need not tell your Lordship what I am assured you have received from better hands, nor make any further reflections on it, than to acquaint your Excellency that I know of no new commissions which your Lordship desires to understand the meaning of, and that make (it seems) no less noise with you than they do here. The character your Excellency gives of the huffing great man' is just. How the noise he makes will operate I know little of; what it does with you (and would everywhere do else) is sufficiently evident; but God is above all, and your Lordship's prudence, courage, and steady loyalty, will, if it not surmount all malevolence, purchase you the estimation of all good subjects, and, I doubt not, but of his Majesty also. I am plainly amazed at what your Excellency tells me of Ireland, which country we have seen given twice conquered into his Majesty's father's and brother's (our late Sovereign's) hands, at no small expense of blood and treasure; and therefore question not but his present Majesty does both see, and well consider, the infinite importance of cherishing its improvements and tranquillity. The Commission of Ecclesiastical Affairs, which suspended the Bishop of London, &c., and gave great offence to all the nation.-J. E. See ante, p. 281. My Lord Teviot, I think, has quite abandoned us; 'tis near four months since we have received any assistance from him at the Seal; so as I have not been able to make any excursion as yet this summer, and when I shall now make my flight to Swallowfield, I am uncertain. I have again been to enquire out my Lord Cornbury; but his Lordship is still so employed 'twixt the Court and his military charge, that I cannot expect the happiness I promised myself of accompanying him thither, and to go without him would be a melancholy thing. The ladies are still at Tunbridge, tempted by the continuance of this Paradisian season; whilst we are here mightily in the dark, and curious (if lawful) to understand, whether a certain new Countess came lately over hither with his Majesty's knowledge and permission. I tell the inquisitive I know nothing of it, but that I am sure your Excellency does nothing save what becomes you, and with good advice. Now that Buda is taken, all our eyes are on Hamburgh and Denmark. I pray God give peace to Christendom, and continue it in little England, with all prosperity and blessing on your Excellency and illustrious family: these are the assiduous prayers of, my Lord, SIR, Your Excellency's, &c. Robert Ball to John Evelyn. Leghorn, 30th January, 1687-8. You may wonder that you have not heard from me sooner, but I have not been at all unmindful of you, for I have now sent you a pretty big box of acorns of the cork tree, and in it you will find two or three sorts of seeds of evergreens that grow about Leghorn, which I think are them you desired. I could not get the olives for this occasion, we shall see to send them you by next; but olives here are propagated by slips, and grafted. The box is included in a bill of lading amongst other things. I am, Sir, Your humble servant, From Sir Henry (afterwards Lord) Capell to John Evelyn. SIR, Kew, 19th October, 1688. Besides the favour of the acorns, which I re ceived in their season, I have lately received other seeds with the mention of other roots from your garden, for all which roots I give you many thanks. I have ordered my gardener to lay aside such things as my garden could afford, and they are put up and left at my Lord Clarendon's, according to your directions. I heartily wish they may anyways be answerable to your garden, for I assure you I am your faithful friend, John Evelyn to his Son. HENRY CAPELL. Anno Mirabil. London, 18th Dec., 1688. SON, I just now received the narrative of the Prince's march, and the political remarks you have made upon the occurrences where you have been. My Lord Clarendon would gladly have conferred with you on several points seasonable at that juncture; but all have now (it seems) submitted, and the bells and the bonfires proclaim as much joy and satisfaction as those are capable of, who have beheld so many changes and revolutions, without being able to divine how all this will conclude at last, and remembering that precept of the wisest of kings, (Proverbs ch. xxiv. v. 21) which I need not repeat to you. It will be no news (I perceive) to you, to acquaint you with his Majesty's late recess, nor of his being stopped at Feversham, &c. But of his coming back to Whitehall, and what has since intervened, you may not yet have heard. On Friday last there went thither my Lord Middleton, Earl of Aylesbury, Lord Feversham, Sir Stephen Fox, and Mr. Grahame, where the rabble had detained the King (the vessel wherein he was embarked with Sir Edward Hales, and Ralph Sheldon, which were all his attendants, upon him coming in for want of ballast), till the news of it being brought to the Lords of the Council, those Lords and gentlemen I named were sent to persuade his Majesty to return, or if not prevailing, to conduct and wait with two troops of horse, to what other port or place he should please to go. The King, at last induced to come back to London, arrived at Whitehall on Sunday evening, went to mass at his chapel on Monday, three priests officiating; the usual number of Roman Catholics, and a world more, filling the bedchamber and all the rooms with extraordinary acclamation. In this manner his Majesty went thence to dinner (a Jesuit saying grace), and all things seemed to pass in such order, as the eclipse the Court suffered, by his Majesty's four days' absence, was hardly discernible; all the clouds (as we thought) were vanishing, and a bright day again appearing. So soon as he was retired, he sent my Lord Feversham with a letter under his own hand to invite the Prince of Orange to St. James's: the message was accepted, but the messenger arrested and made prisoner at Windsor; upon which politicians make reflections. But 'tis pretended that a general of an enemy ought not by the law of arms to come into the quarters of his antagonist without a trumpet and a passport: others say, that his Highness was much displeased at the Earl's disbanding his Majesty's forces under his command, without disarming them, and unpaid, as thereby leaving them in danger of seeking some desperate resolution, of disturbing the measures he had taken; and there are who believe upon some other account, which time will discover. Tuesday morning came the Marquis of Halifax (who with the Lord Godolphin had been sent commissioner to the Prince) from Windsor, to let his Majesty know the Prince would be the next day at St. James's; but withal (foreseeing it might be dangerous to have his army quartered about the town, so necessary to his safety, whilst the King's guards were so near), he desires his Majesty that he would make choice of Hampton Court, or some other place about the distance, to repair to, for the avoiding jealousies and inconveniences which might happen between the guards of different interests. You will easily believe this was not very kindly taken, after so generous an invitation: and that it was the more surprising for its coming to him at one o'clock in the morning, when he was weary and fast asleep. The King upon this rises, and goes immediately to council, where several things being proposed (but what I undertake not to say) are altogether rejected: and whilst by this time WhiteHall and all its environs were crowded with Dutch soldiers, his Majesty put himself into his barge, accompanied with my Lord Aylesbury (now in waiting), the Lords Dumbarton, Arran, and one or two more, followed with three other barges and small boats, filled with a Dutch guard, and a troop of horse by land, steering their course towards Rochester again, from whence he so lately had returned. Thus have you the second recess, or something more dismally boding; which, whilst I myself, with Sir Charles Cotterell and Sir Stephen Fox, beheld from one of the windows of the new buildings, vix tempero à lachrymis. I should have told you that the Prince being yesterday at Sion, sent Sir Robert Howard and Henry Powle with a letter to the city, acquainting them with his approach, with other compliments of course. This was read before the Lord Mayor and Common Council, and was answered with all submission and respect, and with an invitation that his Highness would honour their city by vouchsafing to lodge in it, rather than at St. James's. On this there stood up an alderman, and moved that an address might first be made to congratulate his Majesty's gracious return to White-Hall. But the proposal was not approved of, one of them saying, they had given a good pail of milk, and that this were to kick it over again. Thus, Son, I have given you as minute an account of the Proteus here as I am able for the present. The hero is now at St. James's, where I have seen him, and several of my old acquaintance. I dined at the Earl of Clarendon's, whom I did not find altogether so well satisfied as I expected, considering that his son my Lord Cornbury took so considerable a stroke in his turn. I wish he do not πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζειν.—By what I collect, the ambitious and the covetous will be canvassed for places of honour, and rich employment; and that my Lord will withstand the market, and neglect if not slight his applications, upon confidence of his near relation, and the merits of my Lord his son, if not upon other principles. If none of this happen, VOL. III. J |