The king himself should, my lord, be acquainted with these particulars, and of the great importance of them, by such as from their wisdom and integrity, deserve the nearest access, and would purchase him the hearts of a free and emancipated people, and a blessing on the government; were he pleased incessantly to recommend them to those, who, from time to time, are called together for these ends, and healing of the nation.

And now your Excellency will doubtless smile at this politic excursion, and perhaps of the biscoctum of the rest; whilst the years to which I am, by God's great goodness, arrived, your lordship's commands in a former letter to me, some conversation with men and the world, as well as books, in so large a tract and variety of events and wonders as this period has brought forth, might justify one, among such crowds of pretenders to ragioni di stato, some of which I daily meet to come abroad with the shell still on their heads, who talk as confidently of these matters as if they were councillors of state and first ministers, with their sapient and expecting looks, and whom none must contradict; and no doubt but (as Job said) "they are the people, and wisdom is to die with them." To such I have no more to say; whilst I appeal to your lordship, whose real and consummate experience, great prudence and dexterity in rebus agendis without noise, were enough to silence a thousand such as I am. I therefore implore your pardon again, for what I may have written weakly or rashly. In such a tempest and overgrown a sea, everybody is concerned; and whose head is not ready to turn? I am sure I should myself almost despair of the vessel, if any save your lordship were at the helm. But whilst your hand is on the staff, and your eye upon the star, I compose myself and rest

secure.

Dr. John Williams to John Evelyn.

HONOURED SIR,

Canterbury, 19th June, 1696.

I esteem it as a particular mark of your friendship that you are pleased to acquaint me with the report, which I perceive by yours, is abroad, concerning my writing the Life of the Honourable Mr. Boyle, a report that there is no ground but what there is some occasion for, through the mistake of what I said concerning the publishing anew those of his works which had heretofore been printed: the short story of which is this. About a month since I received a letter from Dr. Charlet, Master of University College, Oxford, in which he told me that some of the works of Mr. Boyle having grown scarce, it had been advised that it would be of good use and be very acceptable to the learned, if there were a collection of all his works set forth together in folio, and that it was desired I would consider of it, and consult with the trustees or others how it might be best accomplished. Toward the promoting of this I waited on my Lord of Canterbury, and in the next place had so on you, but that I thought you were out of town. In the mean time I lighted on Sir H. Ashurst in the street, and afterward on waiting on him at his house I told him of it, and withal, that it would be convenient that some inquiry should be made of what might be found among his papers, fit for the press; he promised me to advise with the Earl of Burlington about it. While I was there, came in Mr. Warr, and he very readily offered his services about the papers: this was the week before I came out of town, and farther we went not. So that all that could be said of a preface was presumption, and no more thought of it I believe than what in cause might be done by the Oxford gentlemen. As for my own part, I was so far from thinking of writing a Life (which I knew to be in the Bishop's hands) that I thought not so much as of a preface. The design is worthy of a better pen; I have always thought it a way of writing not without great difficulties, for he that will write a Life, if possible, should have had an intimate acquaint

1 Afterwards Bishop of Chichester.

ance with the person, and should know that of his air, genius, and ways, that can no more be wrote than he himself can be drawn by description only, and must be, if not intimate enough, yet led into all the particulars which you speak of. Now I had not the honour of anything like this, never having been in the company of that great man but once that I know of, many years since, and which I afterwards blamed myself for having been encouraged by him to make an acquaintance then. I am well pleased that at last it is likely to be done, and to be undertaken by one so well qualified for it as Mr. Wotton, to whom, it being necessary to peruse his papers, he may at the same time promote the Oxford design by a farther collection. When I return to town, which will be, God willing, about fourteen days hence, I shall wait on you with my acknowledgments for your obliging letter to, Sir,

Your faithful and humble servant,

JOHN WILLIAMS.1

MR. PLACE,

John Evelyn to Mr. Place.

Surrey Street, 17th Aug., 1696.

I have seriously considered your letter concerning your resolution of sparing no cost whereby you may benefit the public, as well as recompense your own charge and industry, which truly is a generous inclination not so frequently met with amongst most booksellers, by inquiring how you might possibly supply what is wanting to our country (now beginning to be somewhat polished in their manner of building, and indeed in the accomplishment of the English language also) by the publication of whatever may be thought conducible to either. In order to this, you have sometime since acquainted me with your intention of reprinting the "Parallel;" desiring that I would revise it, and consider what improvements may decently be added in relation to the general design. As for the "Parallel," I

1 This letter is addressed "For Mr. Evelyn, at William Draper's, Esq. in Surrey Street, near Norfolk Buildings, in the Strand, London." 2 A bookseller.

take it to be so very useful and perfect in its kind, and as far as it pretends to (namely, all that was material in those ten masters upon the orders), that I cannot think of anything it further needs to render it more intelligible. As for what I have annexed to it concerning statues, my good friend Mr. Gibbons would be consulted, and for the latter so much as I conceive is necessary I will take care to send you with your interfoliated copy. In the meantime, touching that universal work or cycle, which you would have comprehend and embrace the entire art of building, together with all its accessories for magnificence and use, without obliging you to the pains in gleaning when a whole harvest is before you, or the trouble of calling many to your assistance (which would be tedious), I cannot think of a better, more instructive, and judicious an expedient, than by your procuring a good and faithful translation of that excellent piece which has lately been published by Monsieur D'Aviler; were he made to speak English in the proper terms of that art, by some person conversant in the French, and if need be, adding to him some assistant, such as you would have recommended to me, if my leisure and present circumstances could have complied with my inclinations of promoting so beneficial a design.

I should here enumerate the particulars he runs through, in my opinion sufficiently copious, and in as polished and yet as easy and familiar a style as the subject is capable of: in nothing exceeding the capacity of our ordinary workmen, or unworthy the study and application of the noblest persons who employ them, and to whom a more than ordinary and superficial knowledge in architecture is no small accomplishment. I say I should add the contents of his chapters, and the excellent notes he has subjoined, to a better version of Vignole, Mic. Angelo, and the rest of our most celebrated modern architects and their works; together with all that is extant of antique, and yet in being, applied to use, and worthy knowing; if I thought you had not already heard of the book, since it has now been four or five years extant, and since reprinted in Holland, as all the best and most vendible books are, to the great prejudice of the authors, by their not only printing them without any errata, by which the reader might reform them, or, (as if

they had none at all) correcting the faults themselves: which indeed that of the Paris edition (fair as it seems, and is in the elegancy of the character) exceedingly will need, before it be translated, by whomsoever taken in hand.

But as the latter and its other beauties exceed the Dutch edition, so do likewise the plates, which are done with that accurateness and care, as may almost commute for the oversights of the press. I do not say the Holland sculps are ill performed; but, though they seem to be pretty well copied, they will yet require a strict examination, and then I think they might be made use of, and a competent number of plates (provided not overmuch worn) procured at a far easier rate out of Holland, than by having them perhaps not so well graven here: for 'tis not the talent of every artist, though skilled in heads and figures (of which we have very few), to trace the architect as he ought. But if they could be obtained from Paris, as haply with permission they might, it were much to be preferred. I forget to tell you, that there is a most accurate, learned, and critical dictionary by the same author, explaining (in a second part) not only the terms of architecture, but of all those other arts that wait upon, and are subservient to her, which is very curious.

And now, if what I have said in recommending this work for the full accomplishment of your laudable design (and which, in truth, I think were abundantly sufficient) induce you to proceed in it; and that you would, with it, present the public with a much more elegant letter than I believe England has ever seen among all our printers; perhaps it were worth your while to render it one of the first productions of that noble press which my worthy and most learned friend, Dr. Bentley, (his Majesty's library keeper at St. James's) is, with great charge and industry, erecting now at Cambridge.

There is another piece of mechanics, and some other very rare and useful arts agreeable to this of architecture, and incomparably curious, which, if translated and joined to the rest, would (without contradiction) render it a most desirable and perfect work. If, when you pass this way, you will visit a lame man (who is obliged to stay within at present), I shall endeavour to satisfy you in anything I may