them, show America was under water as well as Asia, Africa, and Europe, at the Deluge. Have you seen Mr. Locke's late reply to the Bishop of Worcester? This gentleman manages controversy very genteely, and my Lord does so too. They must be allowed to be both great men, and 'tis not ordinary to see so very entertaining and handsome an engagement. It is said his Lordship is drawing up an answer to the reply. Mr. Congreve is I hear engaged in a poem on occasion of the peace, and all who are acquainted with the performance of this gentleman expect something very extraordinary. I am, Sir, Your most obliged humble servant, John Evelyn to Dr. Bentley. WORTHY DOCTOR, Wotton, 25th Dec. 1697. Though I made haste out of town, and had so little time to spend after we parted, I was yet resolved not to neglect the province which I undertook, as far as I had any interest in Sir Edward Seymour, whom I found at his house, and had full scope of discourse with. I told him I came not to petition the revival of an old title, or the unsettlement of an estate, so often of late interrupting our late parliaments, but to fix and settle a public benefit* that would be of great and universal good and glory to the whole nation. This (with your paper) he very kindly and obligingly received, and that he would contribute all the assistance that lay in his power, whenever it should come to the House. To send you notice of this, I thought might be much more acceptable to you than to acquaint you that we are full of company, and already entered into a most dissolute course of eating and indulging, according to the mode of ancient English hospitality; by which means I shall now and then have opportunity of recommending the noble design you are intent upon, and therefore wish I had some more of the printed proposals to * Evelyn subjoins in a note: "The new library to be built in St. James's Park." VOL. 111. BB disperse. Sir Cyril Wyche, who accompanied me hither, is altogether transported with it, and thinks the project so discreetly contrived, that it cannot miscarry. Here is Dr. Fuller with his spouse. The Dr. gave us a sermon this morning, in an elegant and trim discourse on the thirty-ninth Psalm, which I find had been prepared for the court, and fitter for that audience than our poor country churches. After this you will not expect much intelligence from hence, though I shall every day long to hear of the progress you make in this glorious enterprise, to which I augur all success and prosperity, and am, Worthy Doctor, &c. William Wotton to John Evelyn. HONOURED SIR, Milton, near Newport Pagnell, When I was in town last month I did myself the honour to call at your lodgings, but was not so happy as to find you at home. I intended to acquaint you what progress I had made in a design which owes its birth wholly to your encouragement. After a positive promise from the executors that I should have the use of Mr. Boyle's papers, my Lord Burlington at last insisted upon my giving a bond that I demanded no gratification. I had voluntarily given a note to the same purpose, which Dr. Bentley sufficiently blamed me for; but I gave no bond, and so left the town (though I had come up on purpose about this business), doubtful what further I should do. But, since I came home, my Lord Burlington is come over so far that he has delivered up my note, and has ordered all the papers to be delivered to my order, with a promise to me of all manner of assistance and encouragement. So that now I intend to dedicate all my spare hours to this business; and then, Sir, as you have hitherto prevented my desires, so again I fear I must be importunate in troubling you with new doubts and queries which, in the progress of the work, will infallibly arise. I am glad to find that we may so soon expect your long-desired work about medals, from which I propose no small entertainment to myself, as soon as it appears. I am, honoured Sir, Your most obliged and most humble servant, W. WOTTON. Shall I not wish you and your excellent lady many happy new years? Nobody, I am sure, does it more cordially. SIR, Dr. Thomas Gale* to John Evelyn. January 19th, 1697-8. Your bookseller lately brought me your Numismata; I give you many thanks for it, and own myself very much enlightened by it, for I meet in it with a mighty stock of arcana historia, of which you, by your acquaintance with great persons, only was master. Be pleased, dear Sir, to accept of this acknowledgment and my profession of all affection possible, and service to yourself and excellent lady. I am, Sir, Your very much obliged friend, The Czar desireth to see some good honest country English gentleman: I hope you will come to town.† William Wotton to John Evelyn. HONOURED SIR, Milton, Bucks, Jan. 20, 1697-8. Duty and gratitude requiring me to give you a second interruption in a short time, I think I ought to make no apology. Not long since I did myself the honour to acquaint you with the success of my affair about Mr. Boyle's life. I knew you would be pleased to hear that I had weathered that difficulty, since you had * Dean of York. + See Diary (Introduction) vol. i., p. xxv., and vol. ii., p. 349. been my first first. ... to that work. I had just got a box of papers, and was going to digest matters for the forge, when I was agreeably stopped by your admirable Numismata, which the last return of the carrier brought me. I needed no spur to read it; the author, the subject, added wings to my diligence. Dr. Bentley had raised my thirst by the essay he had given me before in conversation. Yet these three incitements, and I know not three more powerful, all gave place to a fourth, which was the book itself. I was so truly charmed, so pleasingly taught through the whole work, that the grief of being so soon at an end, wrought as violently at last as the joy I felt as I went along. The printer, indeed, raised my indignation; I was angry with him, and troubled to see my pen so often disfigure so elegant a book. However, I took care to have no remotas for the future, when upon a second and third reading (which yet will scarce suffice) I hope everything shall be riveted in my head, which a first reading in so vast a copia could not carry along with it. My head is so very full of what I have learned and am to learn by your instructions, that I had almost forgotten to thank you for your honourable mention of my poor performances in so standing a work. This was more than I ought to have promised myself. The field I chose was vast and uncultivated; nobler and learneder . . . . will hereafter arise who will till it to more advantage, and reap a richer harvest. I proposed but to outdo Glanvill, and to set Monsieur Perrault and Sir William Temple right, which now, Sir, I ought for your sake to believe I have performed. I am pleased likewise with your quoting of me, even when in all probability you knew nothing of the matter. My first essay at loading the world with my scribbles, was in the Philos. Trans. (a place since fatal to me for a reason you are not ignorant of), and it was in re metallica. My most honoured friend the late Sir Philip Skippon, who had a noble cabinet of medals, which he thoroughly understood, sent me an account of some Saxon coins found in Suffolk, which I printed with some remarks of my own in the Transactions, No. 187, with the initial letters of both our names. The new editors of Camden took no notice of these coins, though I gave them warning, and though there are some there which are not in their collection. You have been pleased to refer to them, for which, Sir, I am bound to express my thanks. But this is not all. I have been censured heavily for blaming Sir W. T.'s "Delphos," and substituting "Delphi," in its place. Your authority will now (if I am publicly a .) decide the controversy. I am opposed with an authority of a medal in F. Hardouin's Num'i Urbium, with this inscription, AEAÞOY, the genitive, say they, of Delphos, the nominative of the name of the city. I use to reply that it was the genitive of Delphus, Apollo's son, mentioned by several of the ancients; which explication you confirm, p. 189, where you inform these cavillers that Εἰκὼν or Νομισμα is understood. 'Tis time to release you; only pray, Sir, do me the favour at your leisure to inform me, whether there is ever another coin published with the Bipennis Tenedia upon it, besides that which John Graves printed in his Roman Denarius. I could say abundance more, but my paper tells me what I have farther to say, that I am, your most obliged servant, W. WOTTON.* John Evelyn to Dr. Godolphin (Provost of Eton). Wotton, 8th February, 1697-8. HAD you been in town when my copies (on Medals) were distributed among my friends, the small present which I presumed to send you, had been brought by your most humble servant with an apology for my boldness in obtruding upon the Provost of Eton (who is himself so great a judge of that and all other learned subjects) my mean performance. It were quite to tire you out, should I relate on what occasion I came to be engaged on a topic on which I could advance so little of my own to extenuate my presumption: yet give me leave to take hold of this opportunity to discharge a debt owing to yourself, and those of your learned relations who condescend to read my book. 'Tis now near fifty years past since Gabr. Naudæus published directions concerning libraries and * This letter is superscribed, " For the Honoured John Evelyn, Senr. Esq., at Wotton, near Dorking, in Surrey." |