Hymn for us; the lustre of the Royal Society calls for an ode from the best of poets upon the noblest argument. To conclude, here you have a field to celebrate the great and the good, who either do, or should favour the most august and worthy design that ever was set on foot in the world; and those who are our real patrons and friends, you can eternize, those who are not you can conciliate and inspire to do gallant things. But I will add no more, when I have told you with very great truth, that I am, sir, &c. LXXVII. The following letter should be especially interesting to the possessors of finely-timbered estates. It will refresh their memory of the man to whom England is indebted for the variety and abundance of her forest and other trees. Besides his 'Sylva, or Discourse on the Propagation of Timber,' John Evelyn showed himself a worthy successor of Bacon in his love of horticulture by publishing the first Gardener's Almanac.' The references to his works on art remind us that he was not merely a rural genius.' John Evelyn to Lady Sunderland. Sayes Court, Deptford: August 4, 1690. Madam,-As for the Calendar your Ladyship mentions, whatever assistance it may be to some novice gardener sure I am his Lordship will find nothing in it worth his notice but an old inclination to an innocent diversion, and the acceptance that it found with my dear (and while he lived) worthy friend Mr. Cowley, upon whose reputation only it has survived seven impressions, and is now entering on the eighth with some considerable improvements, more agreeable to the present curiosity. 'Tis now, Madam, almost forty years since I writ it, when Horticulture was not much advanced in England, and near thirty since first 'twas published, which consideration will I hope excuse its many defects. If in the mean time it deserve the name of no unuseful trifle, 'tis all it is capable of. When many years ago I came from rambling abroad, observed a little there, and a great deal more since I came home than gave me much satisfaction, and (as events have proved) scarce worth one's pursuit, I cast about how I should employ the time which hangs on most young men's hands, to the best advantage; and when books and severer studies grew tedious, and other impertinence would be pressing, by what innocent diversions I might sometimes relieve myself without compliance to recreations I took no felicity in, because they did not contribute to any improvements of the mind. This set me upon planting of Trees, and brought forth my 'Sylva,' which booke, infinitely beyond my expectations, is now also calling for a fourth impression, and has been the occasion of propagating many millions of useful Timber Trees throughout this Nation, as I may justify (without immodesty) from the many letters of acknowledgment received from gentlemen of the first quality, and others altogether strangers to me. His late Majesty Charles II. was sometimes graciously pleased to take notice of it to me, and that I had by that booke alone incited a world of planters to repair their broken estates and woods, which the greedy Rebels had wasted and made such havoc of. Upon this encouragement I was once speaking to a mighty man, then in despotic power, to mention the great inclination I had to serve his Majesty in a little office then newly vacant (the salary I think hardly £300) whose province was to inspect the Timber Trees in His Majesty's forests, &c., and take care of their culture and improvement; but this was conferred upon another, who, I believe had seldom been out of the smoke of London, where tho' there was a great deal of timber there were not many trees. I confess I had an inclination to the employment upon a public account as well as its being suitable to my rural genius, born as I was at Wotton among the Woods. Soon after this, happened the direful conflagration of this City, when taking notice of our want of books of Architecture in the English tongue, I published those most useful directions of ten of the best authors on that subject, whose works were very rarely to be had, all of them written in French, Latin or Italian and so not intelligible to our mechanics. What the fruit of that labour and cost has been (for the sculptures which are elegant were very chargeable) the great improvement of our workmen, and several impressions of the copy since, will best testify. In this method I thought properly to begin with planting trees, because they would require time for growth and be advancing to delight and shade at least, and were therefore by no means to be neglected and deferred, while building might be raised and finished in a summer if the owner pleased. Thus, Madam, I endeavoured to do my countrymen some little service, in as natural an order as I could for the improving and adorning their estates and dwellings, and if possible, make them in love with those useful and innocent pleasures in exchange of a wasteful and ignoble sloth which I had observed so universally corrupted an ingenious education. To these I likewise added my little History of Chalcography, a treatise of the perfection of Painting, and of erecting Libraries . . Medals, and some other intermesses which might divert within doors, as well as altogether without. LXXVIII. At the Restoration the poet Marvell, hitherto known as the colleague and friend of Milton, was returned to Parliament for the borough of Hull, and at once developed a policy so original and courageous that his name has become almost synonymous with the title of patriot. His private letters to his friends during the early years of Charles II.'s reign are unique in the picture they give of the dark side of the times. Several valuable letters were written by Marvell to one William Skinner, who had not the curiosity to keep any of them, but gave them to the pastry-maid to put under pie-bottoms.— (Thoresby Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 102.) Andrew Marvell to William Ramsden. November 28, 1670. Dear Will, I need not tell you I am always thinking of you. All that has happened, which is remarkable, since I wrote, is as follows. The Lieutenancy of London, chiefly Sterlin the Mayor, and Sir J. Robinson, alarmed the King continually with the Conventicles there. So the King sent them strict and large powers. The Duke of York every Sunday would come over thence to look to the peace. To say truth, they met in numerous open assemblys, without any dread of government. But the train bands in the city, and soldiery in Southwark and suburbs, harassed and abused them continually; they wounded many, and killed some Quakers especially, while they took all patiently. Hence arose two things of great remark. The Lieutenancy, having got orders to their mind, pick out Hays and Jekill, the innocentest of the whole party, to show their power on. They offer them illegal bonds of five thousand pounds a man, which if they would not enter into, they must go to prison. So they were committed, and at last (but it is a very long story) got free. Some friends engaged for them. The other was the tryal of Pen and Mead, quakers, at the Old Baily. The jury not finding them guilty, as the Recorder and Mayor would have had them, they were kept without meat or drink some three days, till almost starved, but would not alter their verdict; so fined and imprisoned. There is a book out which relates all the passages, which were very pertinent, of the prisoners, but prodigiously barbarous by the Mayor and Recorder. The Recorder, among the rest, commended the Spanish Inquisition, saying it would never be well till we had something like it. The King had occasion for sixty thousand pounds. Sent to borrow it of the city. Sterlin, Robinson, and all the rest of that faction, were at it many a week, and could not get above ten thousand. The fanatics under persecution, served his Majesty. The other part, both in court and city, would have prevented it. But the King protested money would be acceptable. So the King patched up, out of the Chamber, and other ways, twenty thousand pounds. The fanatics, of all sorts, forty thousand. The King, though against many of his council, would have the Parliament sit this twenty-fourth of October. He, and the Keeper spoke of nothing but to have money. Some one million three hundred thousand pounds, to pay off the debts at interest; and eight hundred thousands for a brave navy next Spring.2 Both speeches forbid to be printed, for the King said very little, and the Keeper, it was thought, too much in his politic simple discourse of foreign affairs. The House was thin and obsequious. They Voted at first they would supply him, according to his occasions, Nemine, as it was remarked, contradicente; but few affirmatives, rather a silence as of men ashamed and unwilling. Sir R. Howard, Seymour, Temple, Car, and Hollis, openly took leave of their former party, and fell to head the King's 1 The immunity of jurymen for giving verdicts contrary to the wishes of the bench was established at this trial. 2 Macaulay exposes the fraudulent conduct of the Cabal' Administration in raising these 800,000%. busyness. There is like to be a terrible Act The Prince of Orange here is much made of. him a great deal of money. The Paper is full. of Conventicles. The King owes I am your's, &c. LXXIX. He repre Marvell was a model member of Parliament. Andrew Marvell to the Mayor and Aldermen of Hull. January 18 [1676-7]. Gentlemen, my very worthy friends,-Not having in the intervalls of Parliament any frequent or proper occasion of writing to you, I am the more carefull, though always retaining the same constant due respect and service for you, yet not to interrupt you with unnecessary letters. But the time of Parliament's prorogation being now within a moneth expired, and his Majesty having by his late Proclamation signified that he expects the attendance of the members in order to a Session, I cannot neglect to imbrace this opportunity of saluting you, and of giving you account that I am here in Town in good health, God be praised, and Vigour, ready to take that Station in the House of Commons which I obtain by your favour, and hath so many years continued; and therefore I desire that you will, now being the time, consider whether there be any thing that particularly relates to the state of your town, or your neighbouring country, or of your more publick concernment, whereof you may thinke fit to advertise me, and therein to give me any your instructions, which I shall carefully conforme. It is true that by reason of so many prorogations of late years repeated, the publick business in Parliament hath not attain'd the hoped maturity, so that the weight and multiplicity of those affairs at present will probably much exclude, and retard at least. any thing |