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just veneration of your memory. But I shall add no more at present, because I will beg the grace of a particular permission to discourse this affair to you, and with the joint request of my worthy friend Mr. Williamson' (who will likewise present your Honour with a specimen of the person's abilities) bespeak your Honour's favourable encouragement, who remain,

GOOD SIR,

Your Honour's, &c.

Dr. John Fell to Dr. Bathurst.

7 March, 1668-9.

I presume you are not a stranger to our late transactions with the Royal Society concerning the MSS. of the Arundel Library, that they might be transferred hither, where they would remain more advantageously to all the interests of learning, and more conspicuously in reference to the name of my Lord and his family: we making a compensation to the Society by furnishing their library with such books as would be useful for the studies which they happily advance. The last night, Mr. Walker informs me, that the Royal Society are come to a resolution of referring the affair entirely to my Lord, and to that end to give up all the interest they have in the MSS. by his gift, that if he thinks fit he may bestow them here; on the other side, if he would have them retained, they may remain as they are. He tells me farther, that this will speedily be put into execution, and therefore it will be advisable that my Lord may be possessed by some friend of the University's, of the convenience of placing them here and adding to his former donation. I cannot think of any person whom we should rather address so in this behalf, than to him whose favour we have already found so much benefit by: I mean Mr. Evelyn. I pray undertake this agency with him as speedily and effectually as you can, and when you do so be pleased to present him with my humble and faithful service. The present straightness of time allows me not a possibility of addressing him. My wishes for your safe return to your affectionate friend, JOHN FELL.

1 Afterwards Sir Joseph Williamson, and Principal Secretary of State. * Subsequently Bishop of Oxford.

MY LORD,

John Evelyn to Henry Lord Howard.

Sayes-Court, March 14, 1668-9.

I am not prompted by the success of my first address to your Honour, when, as much for your own glory as that of the University, I prevailed with you for the marbles, which were inscriptions in stone: to solicit you now, on the same account, for the books, which are inscriptions but in parchment: but because I am very confident your Honour cannot consult a nobler expedient to preserve them, and the memory of your name and illustrious family, than by wishing that the Society (on whom you have so generously bestowed your library) might exchange the MSS. (such only, I mean, as concern the civil law, theology, and other scholastic learning) for mathematical, philosophical, and such other books, as may prove most useful to the design and institution of it; especially since the University do not only humbly desire it (as I can testify by divers letters which I have seen from the Vice-Chancellor, and other eminent persons there), but desire it with a design of owning it yours, and of perpetuating your munificence, by dignifying that apartment where they would place them with the title of Bibliotheca Arundeliana; than which, what can be more glorious and conspicuous? The learned Selden, Sir Kenelm Digby, Archbishop Laud (not to mention Sir Thomas Bodley, their founder, and several others who are out of all exception), esteemed this a safer repository than to have consigned them to their mansions and posterity; and we have seen that when their persons, families, and most precious moveables have suffered (some of them the uttermost violences and dispersion), their books alone have escaped untouched in this sacred asylum, and preserved the names of the donors through all vicissitudes. Nor, in saying this, do I augur less of the Royal Society, should they think fit to keep them in their own library; but because, by thus parting with such as are foreign to their studies to the University, your illustrious name and library will be reserved in both places at once with equal

zeal and no less obligation; when as many as shall have recourse to such books at Oxon as are under the Arundelian title, will have occasion to mention it in their works and labours to your eternal honour. For my part, I speak it with great sincerity and due veneration of your Lordship's bounty, that if I would to the utmost of my power consult the advancement of your Lordship's glory in this gift, it should be by declaring my suffrage in behalf of the University's request. I said as much in the late council; where I must testify that even those who were of a contrary sense to some others of us, were yet all of them equally emulous of your Lordship's honour. But, since it was the unanimous result to submit this particular to your Lordship's decision, I cannot, upon most serious reflection on the reasons which I have alleged, and especially that of preserving your name and library by a double consignation, but implore your Lordship's favour and indulgence for the University, where your munificence is already deeply engraven in their hearts, as well as in their marbles; and will then shine in letters of a more refulgent lustre; for, methinks I hear their public orator, after he has celebrated your name amongst the rest of their glorious benefactors and heroes, end his panegyric in the resounding theatre, as once the noble poet, in the person of the young Arcadian,

Nunc te Marmoreum pro tempore fecimus-Ecl vii. :
We yet, great Howard, thee but in marble mould,
But if our books increase, thou shalt be gold.

I am your Lordship's, &c.

From Dr. Isaac Basire to John Evelyn.

HONOURED SIR,

York, May 22, 1669.

I wish all that are able were of your good temper, and public spirit, the want whereof generally is the bane of all good societies; I was always a pretender to it, which made it therefore my design and study in fifteen years painful pilgrimage (only for my religion and allegiance) to purchase from both the eastern and western Churches their

intent on this, I began to doubt whether I should not actum agere; remembering this passage of your father (r. pazapo), in his Comment on Theophrastus, p. 172, edit. 1638: Sed hæc hactenus; nam de Baculis et eorum forma, multiplicique apud veteres usu, plurima quæ observavimus ad lucem multorum Scriptorum veterum alibi, lav ỏ Oɛds ibiλn, commodius proferremus. That which I now would entreat of you, sir, is to know whether your learned father did ever publish any express treatise concerning this subject, and if not, that you will be pleased to afford me some short hints of what you see noted in his Adversaria about it: by which means you will infinitely oblige me, who shall not fail to let the world know to whose bounty and assistance I am indebted. Sir, that worthy and communicative nature of yours, breathing in your excellent writings, prompts me to this great confidence; but, however my request succeed, be pleased to pardon the liberty of, reverend Sir, your most humble, though unknown servant, &c.

John Evelyn to the Lord High Treasurer (Sir Thomas Clifford). Sayes-Court, 20th January, 1670.

RIGHT HONOURABLE,

I should much sooner have made good my promise of transmitting to your Honour the enclosed synopsis (containing the brief, or heads of the work I am travailing on), if, besides the number of books and papers that I have been condemned (as it were) to read over and diligently peruse, there had not lately been put into my hands a monstrous folio, written in Dutch,' which contains no less than 1079 pages, elegantly and carefully printed at the Hague this last year; and what fills me with indignation, derogating from his Majesty and our nation: the subject of it being principally the war with England, not yet brought to a period, which prompts me to believe there is another volume preparing on the same argument. By the extraordinary industry used in this, and the choice pieces I find they have furnished the author with, his Majesty and your Lordship will see that to write such an.

1 "Saken van Stuet en Orlogh door d'Heer Licuwe Van Aitzems," &c

history as may not only deliver truth and matter of fact to posterity, but vindicate our prince and his people from the prepossessions and disadvantages they lie under (whilst, remaining thus long silent, we in a manner justify their reproaches), will require more time to finish than at the first setting out could well have been imagined. My Lord, I dare affirm it without much vanity, that had I been ambitious to present his Majesty with a specimen only of my diligence, since first I received his commands, I could long ere this have prevented these gentlemen, who, I am told, are already upon the Dutch war. There had nothing been more easy than after a florid preamble to have published a laudable description and image of the several conflicts, and to have gratified abundance of worthy persons who were actors in them; but since my Lord Arlington and your Lordship expect from me a solemn deduction and true state of all affairs and particulars, from his Majesty's first entering into treaty with the States at his arrival in England, to the year 1667, nay to this instant period (which will comprehend so great and so signal a part of his glorious reign), I easily believe his Majesty will neither believe the time long nor me altogether indiligent, if he do not receive this history so soon as otherwise he might have expected. All I will add in relation to myself is this; that as I have not for many months done any thing else (taking leave of all my delightful studies), so by God's help I intend to prosecute what I have begun, with the same fervour and application. Your Lordship will consider how irksome a task it is to read over such multitudes of books, remonstrances, treatises, journals, libels, pamphlets, letters, papers, and transactions of state, as of necessity must be done before any one can set pen to paper. It would affright your Lordship to see the heaps that lie here about me, and yet is this the least part of the drudgery and pains; which consists in the judgment to elect and cull out, and then to dispose and place the materials fitly; to answer many bitter and malicious objections, and dexterously, and yet candidly, to award some unlucky points that are not seldom made at us; and after all this the labour of the pen will not be inconsiderable. I speak not this to enhance of the instrument, but rather that I may obtain pardon for the lapses I may fall into, not

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