insertion. I have had lately sent to me six little pieces of coin (all of a sort) found in an urn by a ploughman, nigh Mildnall in Norfolk. At a court held by the Dean and Chapter of Ely, it was presented as treasure trove, they being the Lords. One of the Prebends sent them. The inscription is not very legible, especially by my eyes, but they seem to be coin stamped by W. Rufus, or about that time. Please to give my wife's and my own hearty services to Mrs. Evelyn. I am your affectionate friend, T. LINCOLN. There is a book in 12mo, called Religion and Reason lately printed for Rogers in Fleet Street, which may perhaps give you an hour's good diversion. From James Quine to John Evelyn. HONOURED SIR, 9th January. Though I have been obliged to you, and that for the charming manner of the obligation (so natural to yourself and easy) more than the matter, yet I hope I have not lost the friend in you, when I most want it. If I know myself and the value I had for you, I think I would cheerfully have served you, had it lain in my power, in a hundred times the sum, and have been abundantly recompensed in the pleasure of serving you. Farewell, excellent man, and forgive this trouble from him who has cultivated poverty and found it a greater treasure than riches, and which, if Suetonius may be credited, was, with a happy retirement, the biggest ambition of Augustus, and a fortune he preferred to that of the Roman Empire. But it has its agonies and its pressures which he never knew, in which he himself would have had recourse to a friend, when an honourable industry had failed of its reward; which is my case, witness much translation of the best things, and much original of the nature of the enclosed, where the verse is purposely written low and incorrect, that the many who are so, may edify thereby. I am with great sincerity, worthy Sir, SIR, From Archbishop Tenison to John Evelyn. St. Martin's Church Yard, 20th April, 1695. I had yours, and have spoken to my Lord King about a meeting in order to the better carrying on the design of the Hospital at Greenwich. The parliament will now soon be up, and then I presume we shall meet, and not before. When I have the happiness of seeing you, we may discourse the business about the Chapel you speak of; I will do all I can in the case. I have with this sent you my sermon at the Queen's funeral: though I ordered one long ago, yet I fear it was not sent; you will excuse the plainness of it. There is come forth an answer to it, said to be written by Bishop Kenn; but I am not sure he is the author: I think he has more wit and less malice. I saw this day a medal in which the Queen's face is better hit than I ever saw in picture or on medal. I wish you all the blessings convenient for you, and shall ever be your faithful friend, THOMAS CANTUAR. From Archbishop Tenison to John Evelyn. GOOD SIR, Lambeth, 19th July, 1695. I am very sorry I could not meet with you on Friday last, or see you this day: my business is such that I cannot help leaving part of it undone. I will consider of the proposition about a maritime college; I like it extremely well: everything of this kind moves so slowly that it discourages, but I will not faint for my part. I shall heartily pray for the better health of your excellent lady, and for the happiness of your family. I am your assured friend, SIR, From John Evelyn to William Wotton.* i ] Wotton, 30th March, 1696. I most heartily beg your pardon for detaining your books so unreasonably long after I had read them, which I did with great satisfaction, especially the Life of Descartes. The truth is, I had some hopes of seeing you here again, for methought (or at least I flattered myself with it) you said at parting you would do us that favour before my going to London, whither I am, God willing, setting out to-morrow or next day for some time; not without regret, unless I receive your commands, if I may be any ways serviceable to you, in order to that noble undertaking you lately mentioned to me, I mean your generous offer and inclination to write the Life of our illustrious philosopher Mr. Boyle, and to honour the memory of a gentleman of that singular worth and virtue. I am sure if I am sure if you persist in that design, England shall never envy France, or need a Gassendus or Baillet to perpetuate and transmit the memory of one not only equalling but in many things transcending either of those excellent and indeed extraordinary persons, whom their pens have rendered immortal. I wish myself was furnished to afford you any considerable supplies (as you desired) after my so long acquaintance with Mr. Boyle, who had honoured me with his particular esteem, now very near forty years, as I might have done by more duly cultivating frequent opportunities he was pleased to allow me. But so it is, that his life and virtues have been so conspicuous, as you will need no other light to direct you, or subject-matter to work on, than what is so universally known, and by what he has done and published in his books. You may perhaps need some particulars as to his birth, family, education, and other less necessary circumstances for introduction; and such other passages of his life as are not so distinctly known but by his own relations. In this if I can serve you, I shall do it with great readiness, and I hope success; having some pretence by my wife, in whose grandfather's house (which * This was the Dr. Wotton remarkable for his learning as a boy, and for no extraordinary wisdom as a man. See Diary vol. ii. p. 130, note; and Note at pp. 346-7. is now mine at Deptford) the father of this gentleman was so conversant, that, contracting an affinity there, he left his (then) eldest son with him whilst himself went into Ireland, who, in his absence dying, lies buried in our parish church, under a remarkable monument.* I mention this because, my wife's relation to that family giving me access to divers of his nearest kindred, the Countess Dowager of Clancarty (living now in a house of my son's in Dover-street) and the Countess of Thanet, both his nieces, will, I question not, be able to inform what they cannot but know of those and other circumstances of their uncle, which may not be unworthy of your notice; especially my Lady Thanet, who is a great virtuosa, and uses to speak much of her uncle. You know she lives in one of my Lord of Nottingham's houses at St. James's, and therefore will need no introductor there. I will wait upon my Lord Burlington if there be occasion, provided in the mean time (and after all this officiousness of mine) it be not the proffer of a very useless service; since my Lord Bishop of Salisbury, who made us expect what he is now devolving on you, cannot but be fully instructed in all particulars. It is now, as I said, almost forty years since first I had the honour of being acquainted with Mr. Boyle; both of us newly returned from abroad, though, I know not how, never meeting there. Whether he travelled more in France than Italy, I cannot say, but he had so universal an esteem in foreign parts, that not any stranger of note or quality, learned or curious, coming into England, but used to visit him with the greatest respect and satisfaction imaginable. Now, as he had an early inclination to learning (so especially to that part of philosophy he so happily succeeded in), he often honoured Oxford, and those gentlemen there, with his company, who more peculiarly applied themselves to the examination of the so long domineering methods and jargon of the schools. You have the names of this learned junto, most of them since deservedly dignified in that elegant history of the Royal Society, which must ever own its rise from that assembly, as does the preservation of that famous University from the fanatic rage and avarice * A Tent and Map of Ireland in relievo. of those melancholy times. These, with some others (whereof Mr. Boyle, the Lord Viscount Brouncker, Sir Robert Murray, were the most active), spirited with the same zeal, and under a more propitious influence, were the persons to whom the world stands obliged for the promoting of that generous and real knowledge, which gave the ferment that has ever since obtained, and surmounted all those many discouragements which it at first encountered. But by no man more have the territories of the most useful philosophy been enlarged, than by our hero, to whom there are many trophies due. And accordingly his fame was quickly spread, not only among us here in England, but through all the learned world besides. It must be confessed that he had a marvellous sagacity in finding out many useful and noble experiments. Never did stubborn matter come under his inquisition but he extorted a confession of all that lay in her most intimate recesses; and what he discovered he as faithfully registered, and frankly communicated; in this exceeding my Lord Verulam, who (though never to be mentioned without honour and admiration) was used to tell all that came to hand without much examination. His was probability; Mr. Boyle's suspicion of success. Sir, you will here find ample field, and infinitely gratify the curious with a glorious and fresh survey of the progress he has made in these discoveries. Freed from those incumbrances which now and then render the way a little tedious, 'tis abundantly recompensing the pursuit; especially those noble achievements of his, made in the spring and weight of the two most necessary elements of life, air and water, and their effects. The origin of forms, qualities, and principles of matter: histories of cold, light, colours, gems, effluvias, and other his works so firmly established on experiments, polychrests, and of universal use to real philosophy : besides other beneficial inventions peculiarly his; such as the dulcifying sea-water with that ease and plenty, together with many medicinal remedies, cautions, directions, curiosities and arcana, which owe their birth or illustration to his indefatigable researches. He brought the phosphorus and anteluca to the clearest light that ever any did, after innumerable attempts. It were needless to insist on particulars to one who knows them better than |