Ports, which they endeavoured to force from them again, but could not do it till my Lord Duke of Albemarle caused it to be put into Sir R. Pye's hand till to-morrow to be decided. At Mr. Bowyer's; a great deal of company, some I knew, other I did not. Here we stayed upon the leads3 and below till it was late, expecting to see the fireworks, but they were not performed to-night: only the City had a light like a glory round about it with bonfires. At last I went to King Street, and there sent Crockford to my father's and my house, to tell them I could not come home to-night, because of the dirt, and a coach could not be had. And so I took my wife and Mrs. Frankleyn (who I proffered the civility of lying with my wife at Mrs. Hunt's to-night) to Axe Yard, in which at the farther end there were three great bonfires, and a great many great gallants, men and women; and they laid hold of and would have us drink the King's health upon our knees, kneeling upon a faggot, which we all did, they drinking to us one after another: which we thought a strange frolic; but these gallants continued thus a great while, and I wondered to see how the ladies did tipple. At last I sent my wife and her bedfellow to bed, and Mr. Hunt and I went in with Mr. Thornbury (who did give the company all their wine, he being yeoman of the winecellar to the King) to his home; and there, with his wife and two of his sisters, and some gallant sparks that were there, we drank the King's health, and nothing else, till one of the gentlemen fell down stark drunk, and there lay; and I went to my Lord's pretty well. us, Thus did the day end with joy everywhere; and blessed be God, I have not heard of any mischance to anybody through it all, but only to Serjt. Glynne, whose horse fell upon him yesterday, and is like to kill him, which people do please themselves to see how just God is to punish the rogue at such a time as this: he being now one of the King's Serjeants, and rode in the cavalcade with Maynard, to whom people wish the same fortune.§ There was also this night in King Street, a woman had her eye put out by a boy's flinging a firebrand into the coach. Now, after all this, I can say that, besides the pleasure of the sight of these glorious things, I may now shut my eyes against any other objects, nor for the future trouble myself to see things of state and show 5 roof (of sheets of lead) Both these men had served Cromwell during the Protectorate, but unscrupulously transferred their allegiance to Charles at the time of the Restoration. as being sure never to see the like again in this world. 24th. At night, set myself to write down these three days' diary, and while I am about it, I hear the noise of the chambers, and other things of the fireworks, which are now playing upon the Thames before the King; and I wish myself with them, being sorry not to see them. JOHN EVELYN (1620-1706) THE RESTORATION OF CHARLES II May 29, 1660. This day his Majesty Charles II came to London after a sad and long exile and calamitous suffering both of the King and birth-day, and with a triumph of above 20,000 This was also his Church, being 17 years. horse and foot, brandishing their swords and shouting with inexpressible joy; the ways streets hung with tapestry, fountains running strewed with flowers, the bells ringing, the with wine; the Mayor, Aldermen, and all the Companiest in their liveries, chains of gold and banners; Lords and Nobles clad in cloth of silver, gold, and velvet; the windows and balconies all set with ladies; trumpets, music, and myriads of people flocking, even so far as from Rochester, so as they were seven hours in passing the City, even from 2 in the afternoon till 9 at night. I stood in the Strand and beheld it, and blessed God. And all this was done without one drop of blood shed, and by that very army which rebelled against him; but it was the Lord's doing, for such a Restoration. was never mentioned in any history, ancient or modern, since the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity; nor so joyful a day and so bright ever seen in this nation, this happening when to expect or effect it was past all human policy. July 6. His Majesty began first to touch for the evil, according to custom, thus: his Majesty * John Evelyn, "a good man in difficult times," a favorite of Charles II., traveler, and member of the Royal Society of London, was a man of real culture and wide intellectual Interests. His Diary extends from 1640 to 1706, covering a much longer period than that of Pepys. Austin Dobson says of it: "If it does not, like the Diary of Pepys, disclose the inner character of the writer, it nevertheless Its entries possesses a distinctive interest. have the precise value of veracious statements; it is a magazine-a mine, Scott called itof contemporary memories of a definite kind." The Livery Companies, or Guilds, established as a part of the city government to protect the members of the various crafts. The scrofula was familiarly known as "the king's evil." from the superstition that it could be healed by the royal touch. chamber, where was a table set on purpose, and lost his £100. (The year before he won £1,500.) The ladies also played very deep. I came away when the Duke of Ormond had won about £1,000, and left them still at passage,3 cards, etc. At other tables, both there and at the Groomporter's, observing the wicked folly and monstrous excess of passion amongst some losers; sorry I am that such a wretched custom as play to that excess should be countenanced in a Court which ought to be an example of virtue to the rest of the kingdom. sitting under his State1 in the Banqueting- | custom, his Majesty opened the revels of that House, the chirurgeons cause the sick to be night by throwing the dice himself in the privy brought or led to the throne, where they kneeling, the King strokes their faces or cheeks with both his hands at once, at which instant a chaplain in his formalities says, 'He put his hands upon them and he healed them.' This is said to every one in particular. When they have been all touched they come up again in the same order, and the other chaplain kneeling, and having angel gold2 strung on white ribbon on his arm, delivers them one by one to his Majesty, who puts them about the necks of the touched as they pass, whilst the first chaplain repeats, 'That is the true light who came into the world.' Then follows an epistle (as at first a gospel) with the liturgy, prayers for the sick, with some alteration, lastly the blessing; and then the Lord Chamberlain and Comptroller of the Household bring a basin, ewer, and towel, for his Majesty to wash. Jan. 30, 1661. Was the first solemn fast and day of humiliation to deplore the sins which so long had provoked God against this afflicted church and people, ordered by Parliament to be annually celebrated to expiate the guilt of the execrable murder of the late King. THE GREAT PLAGUE Aug. 2, 1665. A solemn fast thro' England to deprecate God's displeasure against the land by pestilence and war; our Doctor preaching on 26 Levit. 41, 42, that the means to obtain remission of punishment was not to repine at it, but humbly submit to it. 28. The contagion still increasing and growing now all about us, I sent my wife and whole family (two or three necessary servants excepted) to my brother's at Wotton, being resolved to stay at my house myself and to look after my charge, trusting in the providence and goodness of God. This day (O the stupendous and inscrutable judgments of God!) were the carcasses of those arch rebels, Cromwell, Bradshaw, the Judge Sept. 7. Came home, there perishing near who condemned his Majesty, and Ireton, son-in-10,000 poor creatures weekly; however, I went law to the Usurper, dragged out of their superb all along the City and suburbs from Kent Street tombs in Westminster among the Kings, to to St. James's, a dismal passage, and dangerous Tyburn, and hanged on the gallows there from to see so many coffins exposed in the streets, 9 in the morning till 6 at night, and then buried now thin of people; the shops shut up, and all under that fatal and ignominious monument in in mournful silence, as not knowing whose turn a deep pit; thousands of people who had seen might be next. I went to the Duke of Albethem in all their pride being spectators. Look marle for a pest-ship, to wait on our infected back at October 22, 1658, [Oliver's funeral,] men, who were not a few. and be astonished! and fear God and honour the King; but meddle not with them who are given to change! 1 canopy of state Dec. 31. Now blessed be God for his extraordinary mercies and preservation of me this year, when thousands and ten thousands perished and were swept away on each side of me, there dying in our parish this year 406 of the pestilence! 2 standard, or “guinea" gold (bearing the figure of 3 A game of dice. an angel) 4 The royal director of games. sumed and so returned exceeding astonished | computation, near 50 miles in length. Thus I what would become of the rest. left it this afternoon burning, a resemblance of Sodom, or the last day. It forcibly called to my mind that passage-non enim hic habemus stabilem civitatem:1 the ruins resembling the picture of Troy. London was, but is no more. Thus I returned home. THE DEATH OF COWLEY Aug. 1, 1667. I received the sad news of Abraham Cowley's death, that incomparable poet and virtuous man, my very dear friend, and was greatly deplored. 3. Went to Mr. Cowley 's funeral, whose corpse lay at Wallingford House, and was thence conveyed to Westminster Abbey in a hearse with six horses and all funeral decency, near an hundred coaches of noblemen and persons of quality following; among these all the wits2 of the town, divers bishops and clergymen. He was interred next Geoffrey Chaucer and near to Spenser. A goodly monument has been since erected to his memory. POPULAR PASTIMES The fire having continued all this night (if I may call that night which was light as day for ten miles round about, after a dreadful manner) when conspiring with a fierce Eastern wind in a very dry season; I went on foot to the same place, and saw the whole South part of the City burning from Cheapside to the Thames, and all along Cornhill (for it likewise kindled back against the wind as well as forward), Tower Street, Fenchurch Street, Gracious Street, and so along to Baynard's Castle, and was now taking hold of St. Paul's Church, to which the scaffolds contributed exceedingly. The confla gration was so universal, and the people so astonished, that from the beginning, I know not by what despondency or fate, they hardly stirred to quench it, so that there was nothing heard or seen but crying out and lamentation, running about like distracted creatures, without at all attempting to save even their goods; such a strange consternation there was upon them, so as it burned both in breadth and length, the Churches, Public Halls, Exchange, Hospitals, Monuments, and ornaments, leaping after a pro- June 16, 1670. I went with some friends to digious manner from house to house and street the Bear Garden, where was cock-fighting, dogto street, at great distances one from the other; fighting, bear and bull baiting, it being a famous for the heat with a long set of fair and warm day for all these butcherly sports, or rather barweather had even ignited the air and prepared barous cruelties. The bulls did exceeding well, the materials to conceive the fire, which de- but the Irish wolf-dog exceeded, which was a voured after an incredible manner houses, furni- tall greyhound, a stately creature indeed, who ture, and everything. Here we saw the Thames beat a cruel mastiff. One of the bulls tossed a covered with goods floating, all the barges and dog full into a lady's lap, as she sate in one of boats laden with what some had time and cour the boxes at a considerable height from the age to save, as, on the other side, the carts, etc., arena. Two poor dogs were killed, and so all carrying out to the fields, which for many miles | ended with the ape on horseback, and I most were strewed with movables of all sorts, and heartily weary of the rude and dirty pastime, tents erecting to shelter both people and what which I had not seen, I think, in twenty years goods they could get away. Oh, the miserable before. and calamitous spectacle! such as haply the world had not seen the like since the foundation of it, nor be outdone, till the universal conflagration of it. All the sky was of a fiery aspect, like the top of a burning oven, and the light seen above 40 miles round about for many nights. God grant mine eyes may never behold the like, who now saw above 10,000 houses all in one flame; the noise and cracking and thunder of the impetuous flames, and shrieking of women and children, the hurry of people, the fall of towers, houses and churches, was like an hideous storm, and the air all about so hot and inflamed that at the last one was not able to approach it, so that they were forced to stand still and let the flames burn on, which they did for near two miles in length and one in breadth. The clouds, also, of smoke were dismal, and reached, upon | 2 men of culture THE DEATH OF CHARLES II Feb. 4, 1685. I went to London, hearing his Majesty had been the Monday before (2 Feb.) surprised in his bed-chamber with an apoplectic fit. On Thursday hopes of recovery were signified in the public Gazette, but that day, about noon, the physicians thought him feverish. He passed Thursday night with great difficulty, when complaining of a pain in his side, they drew two ounces more of blood from him; this was by 6 in the morning on Friday, and it gave him relief, but it did not continue, for being now in much pain, and struggling for breath, he lay dozing, and after some conflicts, the physicians despairing of him, he gave up the ghost at half an hour after eleven in the morning, 1 "For we have no abiding city." being 6 Feb. 1685, in the 36th year of his reign, at least 2,000 in gold before them; upon which and 54th of his age. two gentlemen who were with me made reflecThus died King Charles II, of a vigorous and tions with astonishment. Six days after was all robust constitution, and in all appearance prom-in the dust! ising a long life. He was a Prince of many virtues, and many great imperfections; debonair, easy of access, not bloody nor cruel; his countenance fierce, his voice great, proper of person, every motion became him; a lover of the sea, and skilful in shipping; not affecting other studies, yet he had a laboratory and knew of many empirical3 medicines, and the easier mechanical mathematics; he loved planting and building, and brought in a politer way of living, which passed to luxury and intolerable expense. He had a particular talent in telling a story. and facetious passages, of which he had in numerable; this made some buffoons and vicious wretches too presumptuous and familiar, not worthy the favour they abused. He took delight in having a number of little spaniels follow him and lie in his bed-chamber. Certainly never had King more glorious opportunities to have made himself, his people, and all Europe happy, and prevented innumerable mischiefs, had not his too easy nature resigned him to be managed by crafty men, and some abandoned and profane wretches who corrupted his otherwise sufficient parts, disciplined as he had been by many afflictions during his banishment, which gave him much experience and knowledge of men and things; but those wicked creatures took him off from all application becoming so great a King. The history of his reign will certainly be the most wonderful for the variety of matter and accidents, above any extant in former ages: the sad tragical death of his father, his banishment and hardships, his miraculous restoration, conspiracies against him, parliaments, wars, plagues, fires, comets, revolu tions abroad happening in his time, with a thousand other particulars. He was ever kind to me, and very gracious upon all occasions, and therefore I cannot, without ingratitude, but deplore his loss, which for many respects, as well as duty, I do with all my soul. I can never forget the inexpressible luxury and profaneness, gaming and all dissoluteness, and as it were total forgetfulness of God (it being Sunday evening) which this day se'nnight I was witness of, the King sitting and toying with his concubines, Portsmouth, Cleaveland, and Mazarine, etc., a French boy singing love songs, in that glorious gallery, whilst about twenty of the great courtiers and other dissolute persons were at Basset round a large table, a bank of 3 Approved by unscientific observation. 4 A game at cards. 4 Charles II. 5 Dignitaries of the Church of England. 6 The Popish Plot. * This, the first of Dryden's satires, was directed against the Earl of Shaftesbury (Achitophel) and the opponents of the court. The strong excitement aroused by the "Popish Plot," an alleged attempt to strengthen Roman Catholic power in England by the murder of Charles II., had impelled Shaftesbury, a Whig, to endeavor to secure the succession to the Protestant Duke of Monmouth (Absalom), thus preventing the Catholic Duke of York from ascending the throne. Charles II., who was secretly a Catholic, and was receiving aid from France. waited a favorable moment: then, aided by the Tories, he recalled his brother, the Duke of York, and threw Shaftesbury into prison on the charge of high treason. The poem appeared November 17. 1681. Shaftesbury's case was to come up November 24. Not weighed or winnowed by the multitude, But swallowed in the mass, unchewed and crude. Some truth there was, but dashed and brewed with lies To please the fools and puzzle all the wise: Which Hebrew priests the more unkindly took, 130 By guns, invented since full many a day: Had yet a deep and dangerous consequence; Opposed the power to which they could not rise. 171 Refuse his age the needful hours of rest? Punish a body which he could not please, Bankrupt of life, yet prodigal of ease? And all to leave what with his toil he won To that unfeathered two-legged thing, a son, | Got while his soul did huddled notions try, And born a shapeless lump, like anarchy,10 In friendship false, implacable in hate, Resolved to ruin or to rule the state; To compass this the triple bond11 he broke, The pillars of the public safety shook, And fitted Israel12 for a foreign yoke; 13 Then, seized with fear, yet still affecting fame, Usurped a patriot's all-atoning name. So easy still it proves in factious times With public zeal to cancel private crimes. How safe is treason and how sacred ill, Where none can sin against the people's will, Where crowds can wink and no offence be known, 180 191 Since in another's guilt they find their own! 200 |