Volume II Part 24 (2/2)

15, showing and pathetically pressing the care we ought to have lest we come short of the grace of G.o.d. Afterward, I went to visit Dr. Tenison at Kensington, whither he was retired to refresh, after he had been sick of the smallpox.

15th March, 1684. At Whitehall preached Mr. Henry G.o.dolphin, a prebend of St. Paul's, and brother to my dear friend Sydney, on Isaiah 1v. 7. I dined at the Lord Keeper's, and brought him to Sir John Chardin, who showed him his accurate drafts of his travels in Persia.

28th March, 1684. There was so great a concourse of people with their children to be touched for the Evil, that six or seven were crushed to death by pressing at the chirurgeon's door for tickets. The weather began to be more mild and tolerable; but there was not the least appearance of any spring.

30th March, 1684. Easter day. The Bishop of Rochester preached before the King; after which his Majesty, accompanied with three of his natural sons, the Dukes of Northumberland, Richmond, and St. Alban (sons of Portsmouth, Cleveland, and Nelly), went up to the altar; the three boys entering before the King within the rails, at the right hand, and three bishops on the left: London (who officiated), Durham, and Rochester, with the subdean, Dr. Holder. The King, kneeling before the altar, making his offering, the Bishops first received, and then his Majesty; after which he retired to a canopied seat on the right hand. Note, there was perfume burned before the office began. I had received the Sacrament at Whitehall early with the Lords and household, the Bishop of London officiating. Then went to St. Martin's, where Dr. Tenison preached (recovered from the smallpox); then went again to Whitehall as above. In the afternoon, went to St. Martin's again.

4th April, 1684. I returned home with my family to my house at Sayes Court, after five months' residence in London; hardly the least appearance of any spring.

30th April, 1684. A letter of mine to the Royal Society concerning the terrible effects of the past winter being read, they desired it might be printed in the next part of their ”Transactions.”

[Sidenote: SURREY]

10th May, 1684. I went to visit my brother in Surrey. Called by the way at Ashted, where Sir Robert Howard (Auditor of the Exchequer) entertained me very civilly at his newly-built house, which stands in a park on the Down, the avenue south; though down hill to the house, which is not great, but with the outhouses very convenient. The staircase is painted by Verrio with the story of Astrea; among other figures is the picture of the painter himself, and not unlike him; the rest is well done, only the columns did not at all please me; there is also Sir Robert's own picture in an oval; the whole in _fresco_. The place has this great defect, that there is no water but what is drawn up by horses from a very deep well.

11th May, 1684. Visited Mr. Higham, who was ill, and died three days after. His grandfather and father (who christened me), with himself, had now been rectors of this parish 101 years, viz, from May, 1583.

12th May, 1684. I returned to London, where I found the Commissioners of the Admiralty abolished, and the office of Admiral restored to the Duke, as to the disposing and ordering all sea business; but his Majesty signed all pet.i.tions, papers, warrants, and commissions, that the Duke, not acting as admiral by commission or office, might not incur the penalty of the late Act against Papists and Dissenters holding offices, and refusing the oath and test. Every one was glad of this change, those in the late Commission being utterly ignorant in their duty, to the great damage of the Navy.

The utter ruin of the Low Country was threatened by the siege of Luxemburg, if not timely relieved, and by the obstinacy of the Hollanders, who refused to a.s.sist the Prince of Orange, being corrupted by the French.

16th May, 1684. I received 600 of Sir Charles Bickerstaff for the fee farm of Pilton, in Devon.

26th May, 1684. Lord Dartmouth was chosen Master of the Trinity Company, newly returned with the fleet from blowing up and demolis.h.i.+ng Tangier.

In the sermon preached on this occasion, Dr. Can observed that, in the 27th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, the casting anchor out of the fore s.h.i.+p had been caviled at as betraying total ignorance: that it is very true our seamen do not do so; but in the Mediterranean their s.h.i.+ps were built differently from ours, and to this day it was the practice to do so there.

Luxemburg was surrendered to the French, which makes them master of all the Netherlands, gives them entrance into Germany, and a fair game for universal monarchy; which that we should suffer, who only and easily might have hindered, astonished all the world. Thus is the poor Prince of Orange ruined, and this nation and all the Protestant interest in Europe following, unless G.o.d in his infinite mercy, as by a miracle, interpose, and our great ones alter their counsels. The French fleet were now besieging Genoa, but after burning much of that beautiful city with their bombs, went off with disgrace.

11th June, 1684. My cousin, Verney, to whom a very great fortune was fallen, came to take leave of us, going into the country; a very worthy and virtuous young gentleman.

12th June, 1684. I went to advise and give directions about the building of two streets in Berkeley Garden, reserving the house and as much of the garden as the breadth of the house. In the meantime, I could not but deplore that sweet place (by far the most n.o.ble gardens, courts, and accommodations, stately porticos, etc., anywhere about the town) should be so much straitened and turned into tenements. But that magnificent pile and gardens contiguous to it, built by the late Lord Chancellor Clarendon, being all demolished, and designed for piazzas and buildings, was some excuse for my Lady Berkeley's resolution of letting out her ground also for so excessive a price as was offered, advancing near 1,000 per annum in mere ground rents; to such a mad intemperance was the age come of building about a city, by far too disproportionate already to the nation:[53] I having in my time seen it almost as large again as it was within my memory.

[Footnote 53: What would Evelyn think if he could see what is now called London?]

22d June, 1684. Last Friday, Sir Thomas Armstrong was executed at Tyburn for treason, without trial, having been outlawed and apprehended in Holland, on the conspiracy of the Duke of Monmouth, Lord Russell, etc., which gave occasion of discourse to people and lawyers, in regard it was on an outlawry that judgment was given and execution.[54]

[Footnote 54: When brought up for judgment, Armstrong insisted on his right to a trial, the act giving that right to those who came in within a year, and the year not having expired. Jefferies refused it; and when Armstrong insisted that he asked nothing but law, Jefferies told him he should have it to the full, and ordered his execution in six days. When Jefferies went to the King at Windsor soon after, the King took a ring from his finger and gave it to Jefferies. BURNET, ii. 989.]

[Sidenote: GREENWICH]

2d July, 1684. I went to the Observatory at Greenwich, where Mr.

Flamsted took his observations of the eclipse of the sun, now almost three parts obscured.

There had been an excessively hot and dry spring, and such a drought still continued as never was in my memory.

13th July, 1684. Some small sprinkling of rain; the leaves dropping from the trees as in autumn.

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