Volume II Part 22 (1/2)

Then he spoke of his great and loyal sufferings during thirteen years'

exile with his present Majesty, his return with him in the signal year 1660; his honorable employment at home, his timely recess to recollect himself, his great age, infirmities, and death.

He gave to the Trinity Corporation that land in Deptford on which are built those almshouses for twenty-four widows of emerited seamen. He was born the famous year of the Gunpowder Treason, in 1605, and being the last [male] of his family, left my wife, his only daughter, heir. His grandfather, Sir Richard Browne, was the great instrument under the great Earl of Leicester (favorite to Queen Elizabeth) in his government of the Netherland. He was Master of the Household to King James, and Cofferer; I think was the first who regulated the compositions through England for the King's household, provisions, progresses,[49] etc., which was so high a service, and so grateful to the whole nation, that he had acknowledgments and public thanks sent him from all the counties; he died by the rupture of a vein in a vehement speech he made about the compositions in a Parliament of King James. By his mother's side he was a Gunson, Treasurer of the Navy in the reigns of Henry VIII., Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, and, as by his large pedigree appears, related to divers of the English n.o.bility. Thus ended this honorable person, after so many changes and tossings to and fro, in the same house where he was born. ”Lord teach us so to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom!”

[Footnote 49: Notice was taken of this in a previous pa.s.sage of the ”Diary.” The different counties were bound to supply provisions of various kinds, and these were collected by officers called purveyors, whose extortions often excited the attention of Parliament.]

By a special clause in his will, he ordered that his body should be buried in the churchyard under the southeast window of the chancel, adjoining to the burying places of his ancestors, since they came out of Ess.e.x into Sayes Court, he being much offended at the novel custom of burying everyone within the body of the church and chancel; that being a favor heretofore granted to martyrs and great persons; this excess of making churches charnel houses being of ill and irreverend example, and prejudicial to the health of the living, besides the continual disturbance of the pavement and seats, and several other indecencies.

Dr. Hall, the pious Bishop of Norwich, would also be so interred, as may be read in his testament.

16th March, 1683. I went to see Sir Josiah Child's prodigious cost in planting walnut trees about his seat, and making fish ponds, many miles in circuit, in Epping Forest, in a barren spot, as oftentimes these suddenly monied men for the most part seat themselves. He from a merchant's apprentice, and management of the East India Company's stock, being arrived to an estate (it is said) of 200,000; and lately married his daughter to the eldest son of the Duke of Beaufort, late Marquis of Worcester, with 50,000 portional present, and various expectations.

I dined at Mr. Houblon's, a rich and gentle French merchant, who was building a house in the Forest, near Sir J. Child's, in a place where the late Earl of Norwich dwelt some time, and which came from his lady, the widow of Mr. Baker. It will be a pretty villa, about five miles from Whitechapel.

18th March, 1683. I went to hear Dr. Horneck preach at the Savoy Church, on Phil. ii. 5. He was a German born, a most pathetic preacher, a person of a saint-like life, and hath written an excellent treatise on Consideration.

20th March, 1683. Dined at Dr. Whistler's, at the Physicians' College, with Sir Thomas Millington, both learned men; Dr. W. the most facetious man in nature, and now Censor of the college. I was here consulted where they should build their library; it is a pity this college is built so near Newgate Prison, and in so obscure a hole, a fault in placing most of our public buildings and churches in the city, through the avarice of some few men, and his Majesty not overruling it, when it was in his power after the dreadful conflagration.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

21st March, 1683. Dr. Tenison preached at Whitehall on 1 Cor. vi. 12; I esteem him to be one of the most profitable preachers in the Church of England, being also of a most holy conversation, very learned and ingenious. The pains he takes and care of his parish will, I fear, wear him out, which would be an inexpressible loss.

24th March, 1683. I went to hear Dr. Charleton's lecture on the heart in the Anatomy Theater at the Physicians' College.

30th March, 1683. To London, in order to my pa.s.sing the following week, for the celebration of the Easter now approaching, there being in the Holy Week so many eminent preachers officiating at the Court and other places.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

6th April, 1683. GOOD FRIDAY. There was in the afternoon, according to custom, a sermon before the King, at Whitehall; Dr. Sprat preached for the Bishop of Rochester.

17th April, 1683. I was at the launching of the last of the thirty s.h.i.+ps ordered to be newly built by Act of Parliament, named the ”Neptune,” a second rate, one of the goodliest vessels of the whole navy, built by my kind neighbor, young Mr. s.h.i.+sh, his Majesty's master s.h.i.+pwright of this dock.

1st May, 1683. I went to Blackheath, to see the new fair, being the first procured by the Lord Dartmouth. This was the first day, pretended for the sale of cattle, but I think in truth to enrich the new tavern at the bowling-green, erected by Snape, his Majesty's farrier, a man full of projects. There appeared nothing but an innumerable a.s.sembly of drinking people from London, peddlars, etc., and I suppose it too near London to be of any great use to the country.

March was unusually hot and dry, and all April excessively wet.

I planted all the out limits of the garden and long walks with holly.[50]

[Footnote 50: Evelyn adds a note: ”400 feet in length, 9 feet high, 5 in diameter, in my now ruined garden, thanks to the Czar of Muscovy.”--”_Sylva_,” book ii. chap. vi.]

9th May, 1683. Dined at Sir Gabriel Sylvius's and thence to visit the Duke of Norfolk, to ask whether he would part with any of his cartoons and other drawings of Raphael, and the great masters; he told me if he might sell them all together he would, but that the late Sir Peter Lely (our famous painter) had gotten some of his best. The person who desired me to treat for them was Vander Douse, grandson to that great scholar, contemporary and friend of Joseph Scaliger.

16th May, 1683. Came to dinner and visited me Sir Richard Anderson, of Pendley, and his lady, with whom I went to London.

8th June, 1683. On my return home from the Royal Society, I found Mr.

Wilbraham, a young gentleman of Ches.h.i.+re.

11th June, 1683. The Lord Dartmouth was elected Master of the Trinity House; son to George Legge, late Master of the Ordnance, and one of the grooms of the bedchamber; a great favorite of the Duke's, an active and understanding gentleman in sea affairs.

13th June, 1683. To our Society, where we received the Count de Zinzendorp, Amba.s.sador from the Duke of Saxony, a fine young man; we showed him divers experiments on the magnet, on which subject the Society were upon.

16th June, 1683. I went to Windsor, dining by the way at Chiswick, at Sir Stephen Fox's, where I found Sir Robert Howard (that universal pretender), and Signor Verrio, who brought his draught and designs for the painting of the staircase of Sir Stephen's new house.