and the other amongst the vulgar; to which is also joined, for the better fixing their injurious ideas, the several types and figures cut in brass, to represent our misfortunes; as in particular our want of conduct (as they term it) in the first encounter, our baseness in surprising a few poor fishermen, and the firing of Schelling, revenged in the dire conflagration of London, the metropolis of our nation; the descent they made on Sheerness, and their glorious exploit at Chatham, where they give out we so ridiculously lost or betrayed the cream of our fleet, and bulwarks of our kingdom, by an unparalleled supineness: nor this crudely, nor in a trifling way of writing; but so as may best affect the passions and prepossess the judgment and belief of the reader. I say nothing of some personal reflections on my Lord Arlington, Sir Robert Holmes, and even the King himself, whom they represent deliberating in a panic consternation of a flight to Windsor, &c., nor many other particulars pointed at; nor of a thousand other notorious indignities plainly insupportable but I have said enough to inflame a breast sensible of honour, and generous as I know yours to be, to approve, or at least to pardon, the proposal which I shall humbly submit to your consideration and encouragement, for the vindication of his Majesty's and the nation's honour, and especially of an action in which your honour bore so great and so signal a part. And that were doubtless by employing an able pen, not to a formal, or studied reply to any particular of this egregious libel (which might now haply be thought unseasonable), but to compose a solid and useful History of the late War, according to the truth of circumstances, and for the honour of those very many brave men who were actors in it, whose names deserve as well to be transmitted to posterity as our meaner antagonists; but which must else die in obscurity, and what is worse, with obloquy and scorn, not of enemies alone, but of all that shall read what these men are permitted to scatter abroad in the world, whilst there is no care taken amongst us at home to vindicate them from it. When I have mentioned to your Honour the employment of an able pen upon this occasion, I prevented all pretences to it as relating to myself; who have neither the requisite talents, nor the least presumption for it.* But I would humbly suggest how worthy and gloricus in your Honour it would be, to move my Lord Arlington, and with him, to provoke his Majesty to impose this province upon some sober and well-instructed person, who, dignified with the character of his Royal Historiographer, might be obliged to serve and defend his Majesty's honour, and that of the public, with his pen; a thing so carefully and so industriously observed by the French king and other great potentates, who have any regards or tenderness to their own or their people's glory, the encouragement of gallant men, and prospect of their future stories, as there is nothing more notorious. It is history alone (however the writers of them may be esteemed) which renders the greatest princes, and the most deserving persons, what they are to the present age; which perfumes their names to posterity, inspires them to an emulation of their virtues, and preserves them from being as much forgotten as the common dust in which they lie mingled. If your Honour think this worthy your thoughts (and worthy of them I pronounce it to be), all that I shall humbly supplicate to you is, that through your favour I may present his Majesty with a person highly deserving it; as being one, who has not only been a sufferer in his capacity, but one who is perfectly able and accomplished to serve his Majesty: a learned, industrious person, and who will esteem himself gratified with a very modest subsistence, to be always at hand, and always laborious; and not to wear a title (as some triflers have lately done to the reproach of it). If there be already a tolerable honorary appendant to the place of historiographer, we have no more to beg, but the grant of it; if not, that through your mediation, some encouragement may be procured. It will be one of your least noble * Mr. Evelyn was however himself appointed to write this History, and had made considerable progress (see post, p. 221), when upon the conclusion of the war he was ordered to lay it aside. What he had written is unfortunately lost, except the Preface, which he published in 1674 as a distinct treatise, under the title of "Navigation and Commerce, their Original and Progress" (reprinted in Evelyn's "Miscellaneous Writings," 1825, 4to., pp. 625, 687). This highly pleased the King; but, because it gave great offence to the Dutch, it was for a time suppressed. See Diary, vol. ii., p. 24, &c. things, for which you will merit a just veneration of your memory. But I shall add no more at present, because I will beg the grace of a particular permission to discourse this affair to you, and with the joint request of my worthy friend Mr. Williamson* (who will likewise present your Honour with a specimen of the person's abilities) bespeak your Honour's favourable encouragement, who remain, Your Honour's, &c. GOOD SIR, Dr. John Fell† to Dr. Bathurst. 7 March, 1669. I presume you are not a stranger to our late transactions with the Royal Society concerning the MSS. of the Arundel Library, that they might be transferred hither, where they would remain more advantageously to all the interests of learning, and more conspicuously in reference to the name of my Lord and his family: we making a compensation to the Society by furnishing their library with such books as would be useful for the studies which they happily advance. The last night, Mr. Walker informs me, that the Royal Society are come to a resolution of referring the affair entirely to my Lord, and to that end to give up all the interest they have in the MSS. by his gift, that if he thinks fit he may bestow them here; on the other side, if he would have them retained, they may remain as they are. He tells me farther, that this will speedily be put into execution, and therefore it will be advisable that my Lord may be possessed by some friend of the University's, of the convenience of placing them here and adding to his former donation. I cannot think of any person whom we should rather address so in this behalf, than to him whose favour we have already found so much benefit by: I mean Mr. Evelyn. I pray undertake this agency with him as speedily and effectually as you can, and when you do so be pleased to present him with my humble and faithful service. The present straightness of time allows me not a possibility of addressing him. My wishes for your safe return to your affectionate friend, JOHN FELL. * Afterwards Sir Joseph Williamson, and Principal Secretary of State. + Subsequently Bishop of Oxford. John Evelgn to Henry Lord Howard. MY LORD, Sayes-Court, March 14, 1669. I am not prompted by the success of my first address to your Honour, when, as much for your own glory as that of the University, I prevailed with you for the marbles, which were inscriptions in stone; to solicit you now, on the same account, for the books, which are inscriptions but in parchment: but because I am very confident your Honour cannot consult a nobler expedient to preserve them, and the memory of your name and illustrious family, than by wishing that the Society (on whom you have so generously bestowed your library) might exchange the MSS. (such only, I mean, as concern the civil law, theology, and other scholastic learning) for mathematical, philosophical, and such other books, as may prove most useful to the design and institution of it; especially since the University do not only humbly desire it (as I can testify by divers letters which I have seen from the Vice-Chancellor, and other eminent persons there), but desire it with a design of owning it yours, and of perpetuating your munificence, by dignifying that apartment where they would place them with the title of Bibliotheca Arundeliana; than which, what can be more glorious and conspicuous? The learned Selden, Sir Kenelm Digby, Archbishop Laud (not to mention Sir Thomas Bodley, their founder, and several others who are out of all exception), esteemed this a safer repository than to have consigned them to their mansions and posterity; and we have seen that when their persons, families, and most precious moveables have suffered (some of them the uttermost violences and dispersion), their books alone have escaped untouched in this sacred asylum, and preserved the names of the donors through all vicissitudes. Nor, in saying this, do I augur less of the Royal Society, should they think fit to keep them in their own library; but because, by thus parting with such as are foreign to their studies to the University, your illustrious name and library will be reserved in both places at once with equal zeal and no less obligation; when as many as shall have recourse to such books at Oxon, as are under the Arundelian title, will have occasion to mention it in their works and labours to your eternal honour. For my part, I speak it with great sincerity and due veneration of your Lordship's bounty, that if I would to the utmost of my power consult the advancement of your Lordship's glory in this gift, it should be by declaring my suffrage in behalf of the University's request. I said as much in the late council; where I must testify that even those who were of a contrary sense to some others of us, were yet all of them equally emulous of your Lordship's honour. But, since it was the unanimous result to submit this particular to your Lordship's decision, I cannot, upon most serious reflection on the reasons which I have alleged, and especially that of preserving your name and library by a double consignation, but implore your Lordship's favour and indulgence for the University, where your munificence is already deeply engraven in their hearts, as well as in their marbles; and will then shine in letters of a more refulgent lustre; for, methinks I hear their public orator, after he has celebrated your name amongst the rest of their glorious benefactors and heroes, end his panegyric in the resounding theatre, as once the noble poet, in the person of the young Arcadian, Nunc te Marmoreum pro tempore fecimus-Ecl. vii. : But if our books increase, thou shalt be gold. I am your Lordship's, &c. From Dr. Isaac Basire to John Evelyn. HONOURED SIR, York, May 22, 1669. I wish all that are able were of your good temper, and public spirit, the want whereof generally is the bane of all good societies; I was always a pretender to it, which made it therefore my design and study in fifteen years painful pilgrimage (only for my religion and allegiance) to purchase from both the eastern and western |