Dr. Edward Tyson to John Evelyn.

HONOURED SIR,

London, 15th March, 1682.

I lately received the enclosed from Dr. Plot at Oxford, who desired me to transmit it to you, as also to acquaint you that he intends to come to town on the 22nd, against which time it is desired, if it may be, that the answers to the proposed queries of Mr. Anthony Wood may be ready. I had hopes that I might have seen you at the Society, but not having an opportunity of delivering it to you there, I was informed it might safely reach your hands this way; which, when it does, it is only farther to present you with Dr. Plot's service, as also of Your most humble servant,

EDWARD TYSON.

John Evelyn to the Bishop of Oxford (Doctor Fell).

MY LORD,

Sayes-Court, 19th March, 1681-82.

It cannot but be evident to your Reverend Lordship, to how great danger and fatal consequences the 'Histoire Critique,' not long since published in French by Père Simon, and now lately translated (though but ill translated) into English, exposes not only the Protestant and whole Reformed Churches abroad, but (what ought to be dearer to us) the Church of England at home, which with them acknowledges the Holy Scriptures alone to be the canon and rule of faith; but which this bold man not only labours to unsettle, but destroy. From the operation I find it already begins to have amongst divers whom I converse with, especially the young men, and some not so young neither, I even tremble to consider what fatal mischief this piece is like to create, whilst they do not look upon the book as coming from some daring wit, or young Lord Rochester revived, but as the work of a learned author, who has the reputation also of a sober and judicious person. And it must be acknowledged that it is a masterpiece in its kind; that the man is well studied in the

oriental tongues, and has carried on his project with a spirit and address not ordinary amongst critics; though, after all is done, whether he be really a Papist, Socinian, or merely a Theist, or something of all three, is not easy to discover; but this is evident-as for the Holy Scriptures, one may make what one will of them, for him. He tells the world we can establish no doctrine or principles upon them; and then, are not we of the Reformed Religion in a blessed condition! For the love of God, let our Universities, my Lord, no longer remain thus silent: it is the cause of God, and of our Church! Let it not be said, your Chairs take no notice of a more pernicious plot than any that yet has alarmed us. Whilst everybody lets it alone, men think there's nothing to be said against it; and it hugely prevails already, and you will be sensible of its progress when it is too late to take off the reproach. I most humbly therefore implore your Reverend Lordship to consider of it seriously; that the pens and the Chairs may openly and on all occasions assert and defend the common cause, and that Oxford may have the honour of appearing the first in the field. For from whom, my Lord, should we expect relief, if not from you the Fathers of the Church, and the Schools of the Prophets? It is worthy the public concern to ward the deadly blows which sap the roots, and should by no means be abandoned to hazard, or the feeble attempts of any single champion, who, if worsted, would but add to the triumph of our enemies, Papists and Atheists. My Lord, he who makes bold to transmit this to your Lordship, though he be no man of the Church, is yet a son of the Church, and greatly concerned for her; and though he be not learned, he converses much with books, and men that are as well at Court as in town and the country; and thinks it his duty to give your Lordship an account of what he hears and sees, and is expected and called for from you, who are the superintendents and watchmen that Christ has set over his Church, and appointed to take care of his flock. Sir John Marsham's book should likewise be considered

* "Chronicus Canon Ægyptiacus, Hebraicus, et Græcus, cum Disquisitionibus Historicis et Criticis," fol. Lond. 1672. Marsham had travelled into France, Italy, and part of Germany; he was a lawyer, and had held the office of one of the Six Clerks in Chancery. He suffered, during the Civil Wars, as

farther than as yet it seems to have been, and the obnoxious passages in it not put off to prefaces and accidental touches only; whilst neither to that, nor yet to Spinosa (made also vulgar), we have had any thing published of express, or equal force in a just volume, fitted either for domestic or foreign readers. I know that the late Bishop of Chester,* Dr. Stillingfleet, Huetius, and some few others, have said abundantly to confute our modern Atheists; but as these start new and later notions, or rally and reinforce the scattered enemy, we should, İ think, march as often out to meet and encounter them. For the men of this curious and nicer age do not consider what has been said or written formerly, but expect something fresh, that may tempt and invite them to consider, that for all the bold appearances of the enemy, they are no stronger than heretofore, and can do us no more hurt, unless we abandon and betray ourselves and give up the It is not, my Lord, sufficient to have beaten down the head of the hydra once, but as often as they rise to use the club, though the same weapon be used, the same thing repeated; it refreshes the faint, and resolves the doubtful, and stirs up the slothful, and is what our adversaries continually do to keep up and maintain their own party, whenever they receive the least rebuke from us :-fas est et ab hoste doceri. Nor, my Lord, whilst I am writing this, do I at all doubt of your Lordship's great wisdom, zeal, and religious care to obviate and prevent this and all other adversaries of our most holy faith, as built upon the Sacred Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone. But if the excess of my affection for the University (which I have sometimes heard perstringed, as not taking the alarm so concernedly upon these occasions) have a little too far transported me, I most humbly supplicate your Lordship's pardon for my presumption, and for my zeal and good

cause.

a partisan of King Charles the First, but on the Restoration was restored to his office, and soon after created a Baronet. He was one of the greatest antiquaries and most learned writers of his time. Father Simon calls him the Great Marsham of England. He wrote the Preface to the second volume of the Monasticon Anglicanum, besides the Diatriba above mentioned. Sir John was ancestor of the present Earl of Romney.

Dr. Wilkins.

wishes to the prosperity of our Sion, your Lordship's blessing,

SIR,

Who am, my Reverend Lord,

Yours, &c.

The Reverend Thomas Creech to John Evelyn.

Oxford, 8th, 1682.

This brings you my most humble thanks for your kind and obliging letter, which discovers a noble temper, and truly generous, that can bestow praise and commendation when my vainest hopes could scarce expect pardon. You were pleased to direct to me Fellow of Wadham College; a good-natured mistake, and I believe you wish that my condition: but I can boast no such thing, being yet a boy scarce able to reckon twenty, and just crept into a bachelor's degree. I am sensible how much I want of being correct, nor would the necessary exercise of the House, or my own severer studies, permit me to take longer time than two months for the completing it so that the shortness of the time and the weakness of my own genius, make me justly fear that it wants not its imperfections and lies too open to censure. Your charitable hand may remedy this, and if your more useful studies would permit you to look it over and observe the faults, none should more gratefully acknowledge the benefit than, Sir, your most obliged humble servant, THOMAS CREECH.

John Evelyn to Samuel Pepys.

Sayes-Court, 19 Sept. 1682.

SIR, In answer to your queries, I will most ingenuously declare my thoughts upon second meditation since I

* Creech was at this time nearly three-and-twenty, so that his plea in abatement for the errors of his Lucretius' (to the second edition of which, already in preparation, the letter refers) is somewhat overstated on the score of juvenility. He took his master's degree in the year following the date of this letter, and obtained a fellowship, not at Wadham, but at All-souls.

published my Treatise of Commerce, and what I have been taught, but was not there to speak in public without offence. I will therefore reply in the method you seem to hint, and then say what I have concerning our pretence to dominion on the seas. To the first :

Boxhornius has written a history of the Hanseatic Towns, where you will find in what condition and credit. Holland was for traffic and commerce, and in the Danish Annals. It should be inquired when the English staple was removed into Brabant, being 100 years since, and now fixed at Dort. How far forth Charles the Fifth pursued or minded his interest at sea? As to Henry the 4th of France, 'tis evident he was not negligent of his interest there, by his many projects for trade, and performances at Marseilles; all that Richelieu and his successors in that ministry produced was projected by their Great Henry, as is plain out of Claude B. Morisot his preface. And now :

To our title of Dominion and the Fishery (which has made such a noise in this part of the world), I confess I did lately seek to magnify, and assert it as becomes me pro hic et nunc (to speak with logicians), and as the circumstances you know then required. But between friends (and under the rose as they say), to tell you really my thoughts, when such like topics were used sometimes in Parliament, 'tis plain they were passed over there upon important reasons. To begin with the very first. Supposing the old Britons did prohibit foreigners to come into their country, what infers that to any claim of dominion in the Narrow, but a jealousy rather over their proper coasts? Nor read we that they ever practised it over the Gauls. The Chinese, we find, forbade all to enter their country are they, therefore, Lords of the Oriental seas? As for King Arthur (abating what is fabulous, viz. his legendary dominion) the Comes Litoris Saxonici, &c., stretched to Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland, infers either too much or nothing. Have we, therefore, any right of claim to those realms at present? Why then to the seas? Again, admit the most, may not dominion be lost or extinguished? Was not his rather a momentary conquest or excursion, rather than an established dominion? Was it not lost to the Danes? Had they not all the characters of domination imaginable-Lords of our seas,