The Diary of John Evelyn Volume II Part 32

15th August, 1687. I went to visit Lord Clarendon at Swallowfield, where was my Lord Cornbury just arrived from Denmark, whither he had accompanied the Prince of Denmark two months before, and now come back.

The miserable tyranny under which that nation lives, he related to us; the King keeps them under an army of 40,000 men, all Germans, he not daring to trust his own subjects. Notwithstanding this, the Danes are exceedingly proud, the country very poor and miserable.

22d August, 1687. Returned home to Sayes Court from Wotton, having been five weeks absent with my brother and friends, who entertained us very n.o.bly. G.o.d be praised for his goodness, and this refreshment after my many troubles, and let his mercy and providence ever preserve me. Amen.

3d September, 1687. The Lord Mayor sent me an Officer with a staff, to be one of the Governors of St. Thomas's Hospital.

PERSECUTION RAGING IN FRANCE; divers churches there fired by lightning, priests struck, consecrated hosts, etc., burnt and destroyed, both at St. Malos and Paris, at the grand procession on Corpus Christi day.

13th September, 1687. I went to Lambeth, and dined with the Archbishop.

After dinner, I retired into the library, which I found exceedingly improved; there are also divers rare ma.n.u.scripts in a room apart.

6th October, 1687. I was G.o.dfather to Sir John Chardin's son, christened at Greenwich Church, named John. The Earl of Bath and Countess of Carlisle, the other sponsors.

29th October, 1687. An Anabaptist, a very odd ignorant person, a mechanic, I think, was Lord Mayor. The King and Queen, and Dadi, the Pope's Nuncio, invited to a feast at Guildhall. A strange turn of affairs, that those who scandalized the Church of England as favorers of Popery, should publicly invite an emissary from Rome, one who represented the very person of their Antichrist!

10th December, 1687. My son was returned out of Devon, where he had been on a commission from the Lords of the Treasury about a concealment of land.

20th December, 1687. I went with my Lord Chief-Justice Herbert, to see his house at Walton-on-Thames: it is a barren place. To a very ordinary house he had built a very handsome library, designing more building to it than the place deserves, in my opinion. He desired my advice about laying out his gardens, etc. The next day, we went to Weybridge, to see some pictures of the d.u.c.h.ess of Norfolk's, particularly the statue, or child in gremio, said to be of Michael Angelo; but there are reasons to think it rather a copy, from some proportion in the figures ill taken.

It was now exposed to sale.

12th January, 1687-88. Mr. Slingsby, Master of the Mint, being under very deplorable circ.u.mstances on account of his creditors, and especially the King, I did my endeavor with the Lords of the Treasury to be favorable to him.

My Lord Arran, eldest son to the Duke of Hamilton, being now married to Lady Ann Spencer, eldest daughter of the Earl of Sunderland, Lord President of the Council, I and my family had most glorious favors sent us, the wedding being celebrated with extraordinary splendor.

15th January, 1688. There was a solemn and particular office used at our, and all the churches of London and ten miles round, for a thanksgiving to G.o.d, for her Majesty being with child.

22d January, 1688. This afternoon I went not to church, being employed on a religious treatise I had undertaken.

_Post annum 1588--1660--1688, Annus Mirabilis Tertius._[64]

[Footnote 64: This seems to have been added after the page was written.]

30th January, 1688. Being the Martyrdom day of King Charles I., our curate made a florid oration against the murder of that excellent Prince, with an exhortation to obedience from the example of David; 1 Samuel xxvi. 6.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

12th February, 1688. My daughter Evelyn going in the coach to visit in the city, a jolt (the door being not fast shut) flung her quite out in such manner, as the hind wheels pa.s.sed over her a little above her knees. Yet it pleased G.o.d, besides the bruises of the wheels, she had no other harm. In two days she was able to walk, and soon after perfectly well; through G.o.d Almighty's great mercy to an excellent wife and a most dutiful and discreet daughter-in-law.

17th February, 1688. I received the sad news of my niece Montague's death at Woodcot on the 15th.

15th March, 1688. I gave in my account about the sick and wounded, in order to have my quietus.

23d March, 1688. Dr. Parker, Bishop of Oxford, who so lately published his extravagant treatise about transubstantiation, and for abrogating the test and penal laws, died. He was esteemed a violent, pa.s.sionate, haughty man, but yet being pressed to declare for the Church of Rome, he utterly refused it. A remarkable end!

The French TYRANT now finding he could make no proselytes among those Protestants of quality, and others, whom he had caused to be shut up in dungeons, and confined to nunneries and monasteries, gave them, after so long trial, a general releas.e.m.e.nt, and leave to go out of the kingdom, but utterly taking their estates and their children; so that great numbers came daily into England and other places, where they were received and relieved with very considerate Christian charity. This Providence and goodness of G.o.d to those who thus constantly held out, did so work upon those miserable poor souls who, to avoid the persecution, signed their renunciation, and to save their estates went to ma.s.s, that reflecting on what they had done, they grew so affected in their conscience, that not being able to support it, they in great numbers through all the French provinces, acquainted the magistrates and lieutenants that being sorry for their apostacy, they were resolved to return to their old religion; that they would go no more to ma.s.s, but peaceably a.s.semble when they could, to beg pardon and wors.h.i.+p G.o.d, but so without weapons as not to give the least umbrage of rebellion or sedition, imploring their pity and commiseration; and, accordingly, meeting so from time to time, the dragoon-missioners, Popish officers and priests, fell upon them, murdered and put them to death, whoever they could lay hold on; they without the least resistance embraced death, torture, or hanging, with singing psalms and praying for their persecutors to the last breath, yet still continuing the former a.s.sembling of themselves in desolate places, suffering with incredible constancy, that through G.o.d's mercy they might obtain pardon for this lapse. Such examples of Christian behavior have not been seen since the primitive persecutions; and doubtless G.o.d will do some signal work in the end, if we can with patience and resignation hold out, and depend on his Providence.

24th March, 1688. I went with Sir Charles Littleton to Sheen, a house and estate given him by Lord Brounker; one who was ever noted for a hard, covetous, vicious man; but for his worldly craft and skill in gaming few exceeded him. Coming to die, he bequeathed all his land, house, furniture, etc., to Sir Charles, to whom he had no manner of relation, but an ancient friends.h.i.+p contracted at the famous siege of Colchester, forty years before. It is a pretty place, with fine gardens, and well planted, and given to one worthy of them, Sir Charles being an honest gentleman and soldier. He is brother to Sir Henry Littleton of Worcesters.h.i.+re, whose great estate he is likely to inherit, his brother being without children. They are descendants of the great lawyer of that name, and give the same arms and motto. He is married to one Mrs.

Temple, formerly maid of honor to the late Queen, a beautiful lady, and he has many fine children, so that none envy his good fortune.

After dinner, we went to see Sir William Temple's near to it; the most remarkable things are his orangery and gardens, where the wall-fruit-trees are most exquisitely nailed and trained, far better than I ever noted.

There are many good pictures, especially of Vand.y.k.e's, in both these houses, and some few statues and small busts in the latter.

From thence to Kew, to visit Sir Henry Capel's, whose orangery and _myrtetum_ are most beautiful and perfectly well kept. He was contriving very high palisadoes of reeds to shade his oranges during the summer, and painting those reeds in oil.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

1st April, 1688. In the morning, the first sermon was by Dr.

Stillingfleet, Dean of St. Paul's (at Whitehall), on Luke x. 41, 42. The Holy Communion followed, but was so interrupted by the rude breaking in of mult.i.tudes zealous to hear the second sermon, to be preached by the Bishop of Bath and Wells, that the latter part of that holy office could hardly be heard, or the sacred elements be distributed without great trouble. The Princess being come, he preached on Mich. vii. 8, 9, 10, describing the calamity of the Reformed Church of Judah under the Babylonian persecution, for her sins, and G.o.d's delivery of her on her repentance; that as Judah emerged, so should the now Reformed Church, whenever insulted and persecuted. He preached with his accustomed action, zeal, and energy, so that people flocked from all quarters to hear him.

15th April, 1688. A dry, cold, backward spring; easterly winds.

The persecution still raging in France, mult.i.tudes of Protestants, and many very considerable and great persons flying hither, produced a second general contribution, the Papists, by G.o.d's Providence, as yet making small progress among us.

29th April, 1688. The weather was, till now, so cold and sharp, by an almost perpetual east wind, which had continued many months, that there was little appearance of any spring, and yet the winter was very favorable as to frost and snow.

2d May, 1688. To London, about my pet.i.tion for allowances upon the account of Commissioner for Sick and Wounded in the former war with Holland.

8th May, 1688. His Majesty, alarmed by the great fleet of the Dutch (while we had a very inconsiderable one), went down to Chatham; their fleet was well prepared, and out, before we were in any readiness, or had any considerable number to have encountered them, had there been occasion, to the great reproach of the nation; while being in profound peace, there was a mighty land army, which there was no need of, and no force at sea, where only was the apprehension; but the army was doubtless kept and increased, in order to bring in and countenance Popery, the King beginning to discover his intention, by many instances pursued by the Jesuits, against his first resolution to alter nothing in the Church Establishment, so that it appeared there can be no reliance on Popish promises.

18th May, 1688. The King enjoining the ministers to read his Declaration for giving liberty of conscience (as it was styled) in all churches of England, this evening, six Bishops, Bath and Wells,[65]

Peterborough,[66] Ely,[67] Chichester,[68] St. Asaph,[69] and Bristol,[70] in the name of all the rest of the Bishops, came to his Majesty to pet.i.tion him, that he would not impose the reading of it to the several congregations within their dioceses; not that they were averse to the publis.h.i.+ng it for want of due tenderness toward dissenters, in relation to whom they should be willing to come to such a temper as should be thought fit, when that matter might be considered and settled in Parliament and Convocation; but that, the Declaration being founded on such a dispensing power as might at pleasure set aside all laws ecclesiastical and civil, it appeared to them illegal, as it had done to the Parliament in 1661 and 1672, and that it was a point of such consequence, that they could not so far make themselves parties to it, as the reading of it in church in time of divine service amounted to.

[Footnote 65: Thomas Ken.]

[Footnote 66: Thomas White.]

[Footnote 67: Francis Turner.]

[Footnote 68: John Lake.]

[Footnote 69: William Lloyd.]

[Footnote 70: Sir John Trelawny, Bart.]

The King was so far incensed at this address, that he with threatening expressions commanded them to obey him in reading it at their perils, and so dismissed them.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

20th May, 1688. I went to Whitehall Chapel, where, after the morning lessons, the Declaration was read by one of the choir who used to read the chapters. I hear it was in the Abbey Church, Westminster, but almost universally forborne throughout all London: the consequences of which a little time will show.

25th May, 1688. All the discourse now was about the Bishops refusing to read the injunction for the abolition of the Test, etc. It seems the injunction came so crudely from the Secretary's office, that it was neither sealed nor signed in form, nor had any lawyer been consulted, so as the Bishops who took all imaginable advice, put the Court to great difficulties how to proceed against them. Great were the consults, and a proclamation was expected all this day; but nothing was done. The action of the Bishops was universally applauded, and reconciled many adverse parties, Papists only excepted, who were now exceedingly perplexed, and violent courses were every moment expected. Report was, that the Protestant secular Lords and n.o.bility would abet the Clergy.

The Queen Dowager, hitherto bent on her return into Portugal, now on the sudden, on allegation of a great debt owing her by his Majesty disabling her, declares her resolution to stay.

News arrived of the most prodigious earthquake that was almost ever heard of, subverting the city of Lima and country in Peru, with a dreadful inundation following it.

8th June, 1688. This day, the Archbishop of Canterbury, with the Bishops of Ely, Chichester, St. Asaph, Bristol, Peterborough, and Bath and Wells, were sent from the Privy Council prisoners to the Tower, for refusing to give bail for their appearance, on their not reading the Declaration for liberty of conscience; they refused to give bail, as it would have prejudiced their peerage. The concern of the people for them was wonderful, infinite crowds on their knees begging their blessing, and praying for them, as they pa.s.sed out of the barge along the Tower wharf.