Part 41

20th October, 1664. Hence, to see the famous wells, natural and artificial grots and fountains, called Bushell's Wells, at Enstone. This Bushell had been Secretary to my Lord Verulam. It is an extraordinary solitude. There he had two mummies; a grot where he lay in a hammock, like an Indian. Hence, we went to Dichley, an ancient seat of the Lees, now Sir Henry Lee's; it is a low ancient timber-house, with a pretty bowling-green. My Lady gave us an extraordinary dinner. This gentleman's mother was Countess of Rochester, who was also there, and Sir Walter St. John. There were some pictures of their ancestors, not ill painted; the great-grandfather had been Knight of the Garter; there was a picture of a Pope, and our Savior's head. So we returned to Cornbury.

24th October, 1664. We dined at Sir Timothy Tyrill's at Shotover. This gentleman married the daughter and heir of Dr. James Usher, Archbishop of Armagh, that learned prelate. There is here in the grove a fountain of the coldest water I ever felt, and very clear. His plantation of oaks and other timber is very commendable. We went in the evening to Oxford, lay at Dr. Hyde's, principal of Magdalen-Hall (related to the Lord Chancellor), brother to the Lord Chief Justice and that Sir Henry Hyde, who lost his head for his loyalty. We were handsomely entertained two days. The Vice-Chancellor, who with Dr. Fell, Dean of Christ Church, the learned Dr. Barlow, Warden of Queen's, and several heads of houses, came to visit Lord Cornbury (his father being now Chancellor of the University), and next day invited us all to dinner. I went to visit Mr. Boyle (now here), whom I found with Dr. Wallis and Dr. Christopher Wren, in the tower of the schools, with an inverted tube, or telescope, observing the discus of the sun for the passing of Mercury that day before it; but the latitude was so great that nothing appeared; so we went to see the rarities in the library, where the keepers showed me my name among the benefactors. They have a cabinet of some medals, and pictures of the muscular parts of man's body. Thence, to the new theater, now building at an exceeding and royal expense by the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury [Sheldon], to keep the Acts in for the future, till now being in St. Mary's Church. The foundation had been newly laid, and the whole designed by that incomparable genius my worthy friend, Dr. Christopher Wren, who showed me the model, not disdaining my advice in some

## particulars. Thence, to see the picture on the wall over the altar of All

Souls, being the largest piece of fresco painting (or rather in imitation of it, for it is in oil of turpentine) in England, not ill designed by the hand of one Fuller; yet I fear it will not hold long. It seems too full of nakeds for a chapel.

Thence, to New College, and the painting of Magdalen chapel, which is on blue cloth in _chiar oscuro_, by one Greenborow, being a _Coena Domini_, and a "Last Judgment" on the wall by Fuller, as in the other, but somewhat varied.

Next to Wadham, and the Physic Garden, where were two large locust trees, and as many platani (plane trees), and some rare plants under the culture of old Bobart.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

26th October, 1664. We came back to Beaconsfield; next day to London, where we dined at the Lord Chancellor's, with my Lord Bellasis.

27th October, 1664. Being casually in the privy gallery at Whitehall, his Majesty gave me thanks before divers lords and noblemen for my book of "Architecture," and again for my "_Sylva_" saying they were the best designed and useful for the matter and subject, the best printed and designed (meaning the _taille-douces_ of the Parallel of Architecture) that he had seen. He then caused me to follow him alone to one of the windows, and asked me if I had any paper about me unwritten, and a crayon; I presented him with both, and then laying it on the window-stool, he with his own hands designed to me the plot for the future building of Whitehall, together with the rooms of state, and other

## particulars. After this, he talked with me of several matters, asking my

advice, in which I find his Majesty had an extraordinary talent becoming a magnificent prince.

The same day at Council, there being Commissioners to be made to take care of such sick and wounded and prisoners of war, as might be expected upon occasion of a succeeding war and action at sea, war being already declared against the Hollanders, his Majesty was pleased to nominate me to be one, with three other gentlemen, Parliament men, viz, Sir William Doily, Knt. and Bart., Sir Thomas Clifford, and Bullein Rheymes, Esq.; with a salary of £1,200 a year among us, besides extraordinaries for our care and attention in time of station, each of us being appointed to a

## particular district, mine falling out to be Kent and Sussex, with power

to constitute officers, physicians, chirurgeons, provost-marshals, and to dispose of half of the hospitals through England. After the Council, we kissed his Majesty's hand. At this Council I heard Mr. Solicitor Finch plead most elegantly for the merchants trading to the Canaries, praying for a new Charter.

29th October, 1664. Was the most magnificent triumph by water and land of the Lord Mayor. I dined at Guildhall at the upper table, placed next to Sir H. Bennett, Secretary of State, opposite to my Lord Chancellor and the Duke of Buckingham, who sat between Monsieur Comminges, the French Ambassador, Lord Treasurer, the Dukes of Ormond and Albemarle, Earl of Manchester, Lord Chamberlain, and the rest of the great officers of state. My Lord Mayor came twice up to us, first drinking in the golden goblet his Majesty's health, then the French King's as a compliment to the Ambassador; we returned my Lord Mayor's health, the trumpets and drums sounding. The cheer was not to be imagined for the plenty and rarity, with an infinite number of persons at the tables in that ample hall. The feast was said to cost £1,000. I slipped away in the crowd, and came home late.

31st October, 1664. I was this day 44 years of age; for which I returned thanks to Almighty God, begging his merciful protection for the year to come.

2d November, 1664. Her Majesty, the Queen-Mother, came across the gallery in Whitehall to give me thanks for my book of "Architecture," which I had presented to her, with a compliment that I did by no means deserve.

16th November, 1664. We chose our treasurer, clerks, and messengers, and appointed our seal, which I ordered should be the good Samaritan, with this motto, "_Fac similiter_." Painters' Hall was lent us to meet in. In the great room were divers pictures, some reasonably good, that had been given to the Company by several of the wardens and masters of the Company.

23d November, 1664. Our statutes now finished, were read before a full assembly of the Royal Society.

24th November, 1664. His Majesty was pleased to tell me what the conference was with the Holland Ambassador, which, as after I found, was the heads of the speech he made at the reconvention of the Parliament, which now began.

2d December, 1664. We delivered the Privy Council's letters to the Governors of St. Thomas's Hospital, in Southwark, that a moiety of the house should be reserved for such sick and wounded as should from time to time be sent from the fleet during the war. This being delivered at their Court, the President and several Aldermen, Governors of that Hospital, invited us to a great feast in Fishmongers' Hall.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

20th December, 1664. To London, our last sitting, taking order for our personal visiting our several districts. I dined at Captain Cocke's (our treasurer), with that most ingenious gentleman, Matthew Wren, son to the Bishop of Ely, and Mr. Joseph Williamson, since Secretary of State.

22d December, 1664. I went to the launching of a new ship of two bottoms, invented by Sir William Petty, on which were various opinions; his Majesty being present, gave her the name of the "Experiment": so I returned home, where I found Sir Humphry Winch, who spent the day with me.

This year I planted the lower grove next the pond at Sayes Court. It was now exceedingly cold, and a hard, long, frosty season, and the comet was very visible.

28th December, 1664. Some of my poor neighbors dined with me, and others of my tenants, according to my annual custom.

31st December, 1664. Set my affairs in order, gave God praise for His mercies the past year, and prepared for the reception of the Holy Sacrament, which I partook of the next day, after hearing our minister on the 4th of Galatians, verses 4, 5, of the mystery of our Blessed Savior's Incarnation.

Transcriber's Note

Page headers in the original text indicated the location of the author. I have converted these to sidenotes. When the location did not change over several pages, only one sidenote was used.

"[)u]" is used in the text to represent "u" with a breve above it.

"^" is used in the text to represent superscripts.

"[~C~]" is used to represent a backwards "C"

Footnotes have been moved below the paragraph to which they relate.

Inconsistencies have been retained in spelling, hyphenation, punctuation, and grammar, except where indicated in the list below:

- Comma removed after "King" on Page xxii - Comma removed after "ARTIBUS" and word was moved to the start of following line on Page 17 - "extrordinary" changed to "extraordinary" on Page 22 - Period changed to comma after "considerable" on Page 50 - Colon changed to semicolon after "good" on Page 57 - "Cum-anno" changed to "Cum anno" on Page 60 - "ceörcuit" changed to "coërcuit" on Page 60 - Period added after "capital" on Page 66 - Comma changed to a period added after "head" on Page 68 - Comma added after "churches" on Page 70 - Period added after "Paris" on Page 73 - Period changed to a colon after after "vetustiss" on Page 98 - "qu" changed to "qui" on Page 99 - "suffiently" changed to "sufficiently" on Page 100 - "theorboes" changed to "theorbos" on Page 107 - "hicerigi" changed to "hic erigi" on Page 112 - "d Arpino" changed to "d'Arpino" on Page 119 - "Mosiac" changed to "Mosaic" on Page 123 - "Sextns" changed to "Sextus" on Page 124 - "S.P. Q.R.D.D." changed to "S.P.Q.R.D.D." on Page 124 - "tune" changed to "tunc" on Page 124 - "Mosiac" changed to "Mosaic" on Page 132 - "viz." changed to "viz" on Page 138 - Period added after "grosse" on Page 138 - Semicolon added after "Cybel" on Page 140 - "Scipio'o" changed to "Scipio's" on Page 140 - "forman" changed to "formam" on Page 144 - Quote added before "Inclyta" on Page 146 - "cinceres" changed to "cineres" on Page 153 - Colon changed to a semicolon after "brass" on Page 161 - Round bracket added after "excepted" on Page 164 - "Lanframe" changed to "Lanfranc" on Page 166 - Comma changed to a period after "VIII" on Page 167 - "sinking" changed to "stinking" on Page 178 - "suphurous" changed to "sulphurous" on Page 178 - Comma added after "Pegasus" on Page 178 - "gread" changed to "great" on Page 179 - Colon changed to semicolon after "mummy" on Page 182 - Period changed to comma after "ordnance" on Page 187 - Comma changed to a semicolon after "marble" on Page 200 - Period added after "October" on Page 212 - "thought" changed to "taught" on Page 213 - Extra "to" removed on Page 214 - Extra "of" removed on Page 217 - "Poti" changed to "Pot."-- on Page 223 - Comma added after "August" on Page 243 - "father s" changed to "father's" on Page 251 - "Cecilia's" changed to "Cecilia's" on Page 259 - "Musician's" changed to "Musicians" on Page 259 - Extra "the" removed on Page 264 - "captan" changed to "captain" on Page 265 - "taffet" changed to "taffeta" on Page 265 - "Febur's" changed to "Febure's" on Page 269 - "Cromwells" changed to "Cromwell's" on Page 274 - "Condè's" changed to "Condé's" on Page 275 - Period added after "1653" on Page 281 - Period added after "1653" on Page 281 - Duplicate "the" removed on Page 284 - Comma changed to a period after "Mr" on Page 284 - "delighful" changed to "delightful" on Page 285 - "Pophams" changed to "Popham's" on Page 285 - "June" changed to "July" on Page 287 - "June" changed to "July" on Page 287 - Comma added after "music" on Page 287 - "MSS." changed to "MS." on Page 288 - "meantine" changed to "meantime" on Page 290 - Period added after "prospect" on Page 296 - Comma added after "December" on Page 302 - Comma changed to a period after "it" on Page 308 - "indiffierently" changed to "indifferently" on Page 314 - "January" changed to "February" on Page 314 - "January" changed to "February" on Page 315 - "deperate" changed to "desperate" on Page 317 - Period added after "1657" on Page 317 - Period added after "country" on Page 317 - "commisioners" changed to "commissioners" on Page 326 - Comma added after "November" on Page 328 - "1650" changed to "1660" on Page 336 - Period added after "Crisp" on Page 356 - Comma changed to a period after "modern" on Page 356 - Period added after "St" on Page 360 - Extra "the" removed on Page 362 - Comma changed to a period after "St" on Page 364 - Period added after "Sylva" on Page 365 - "October" changed to "November" on Page 366 - Period added after "Worcester" on Page 366 - Period added after "St" on Page 366 - Comma changed to a period after "1664" on Page 376 - "againt" changed to "against" on Page 378