2nd §, No 19., May 10. °56.] 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
367 
Upon these proceedings Sir Christopher Wren 
made the following report to the Treasury : 
“ May it please your Lordshipps, 
“Jn pursuance of your Lordships Referrence of May 6*, 
1698, upon the petition of John Benbow, Esquire, that I 
should survey and Estimate the dammages done to his 
House, Gardens, and Goods, by His Czarish Majestie and 
his Retinue at Deptford; I accordingly repaired thither, 
and valew’d the repaires of the House and Fences by par- 
ticulars upon view; and desired the assistance of Mr. 
Sewell of the moving Wardrobe to valew the Goods, and 
of Mr. London to valew the Gardens, and plantations, to 
which estimates heer annexed, they have respectively set 
their hands, and I beleive their valewations are just. 
eee Suet Oe 
“The Dammage of the House is valew’d at 107 07 00 
“ Of the Gardens - - - - 55 00 00 
“ Totall - - 162 97 00 
“Which summe of 1627. 07s. 00d. I sup- 
pose may be pay’d to Mr. Evelin, the 
petitioners Terme being neer expired. 
“The Dammage of the Goodsis_ - - 133 02 06 
“ Cray’d 14 weeks Rent, which I valew at - 25 00 00 
“Totall to be pay’d to ye Petitioner - 158 02 06 
“There is also a House belonging to one 
Russell, a poor man, for the Guards ap- 
pointed to be there, who have almost 
intirely ruined the house; he will sub- 
mitt to a recompence of - - 30 00 00 
“Summe Totall - 350 09 06 
“ All which is humbly submitted. 
“Cur. WREN, 
May 11', 
1698.” 
By a Treasury Warrant, dated June 21, 1698, 
the money was ordered to be paid to the various 
ersons, in recompence for their damages, accord- 
ing to the terms of Wren’s report. 
It will be familiar to all readers of Evelyn’s 
Diary how piteously he speaks of the treatment 
his house and gardens had received at the Czar’s 
hands, and the preceding particulars will show 
that he did not complain without reason. Indeed, 
nothing in the way of destruction seems to lave 
been too reckless for the Czar or his attendants to 
have committed, as is testified by the articles of 
furniture which are “ broke and spoyled,” or 
“lost.” I met with these papers in the course of 
my researches for a History of Deptford, in which 
I have made considerable progress; and I will 
take this opportunity of asking the kind assistance 
of any of your readers who may have it in their 
— to afford me information relative to that 
ocality. Any maps, plans, or views, particularly 
of Sayes Court, would be most acceptable. 
Wiurriam Henry Hart. 
Albert Terrace, New Cross. 
INEDITED LETTER BY JOHN WILKES. 
[We are indebted to Edward Lennox Boyd, Esq, for 
permission to publish the following characteristic letter, 
which will be read with interest by those who agree with 
the writer of the able article in The Atheneum of Jan. 3, 
1852, that justice has not yet been done to the character 
of Wilkes. ] 
London, 13 May, 1766. 
Tuesday night. 
It is certainly true, my dear Sir, Mr. Wilkes is 
arrived at his native city, and is in very good 
health and good humour. The fellow who is now 
erying under my window An Elegy on the la- 
mented Death of that much admir’d Patriot John 
Wilkes, Esq., who died of an Apoplexy at Paris 
last Wednesday, is an impudent liar, and I shall 
believe no more what he says, even tho’ he were a 
voter of London. I scorn to deceive you or any 
man, and you may be assured that what I tell you 
is exactly true; Mr. Wilkes is in London, very 
well pleas’d with what has happened, every hour 
giving him new proofs of the wisdom of the step 
he took in returning home at this time, under a 
ministry which I know he approves, and I believe 
will support. I was received at Dover by the 
ringing of bells, and the acclamations of the 
people; some of the considerable merchants came 
to visit me, tho’ it was late, but as soon as I had 
sup’d and made libations to your health, and that 
of a few more at Paris, I proceeded to the capital 
in a post-chaise and four, with only the Governour 
of St. Vincent, travelled all London in a hackney- 
coach, and reached Mr. Stuart’s yesterday at noon. 
I have this afternoon shed twice tears of joy 
with an old acquaintance, while the poor ballad- 
singer is shedding tears of sorrow for my lamented 
death ; and as I am incognito for a day or two, I 
dare not comfort him. If you have true Christian 
charity you will suppose this old acquaintance to 
be Mrs. Wilkes, but if you do,— why, then you 
are mistaken. I have twice kissed Miss Ag at 
do not go into any particulars by this post. The 
next will bring you a longer letter. I must con- 
tent myself with telling you that Miss Wilkes is 
perfectly well, and every thing a fond father can 
wish her. She is charm'd with every thing I tell 
her of Madame Suard, and I foresee they will be 
very good friends. 
I begin with sending you to-night some of the 
little commissions you honor’d me with. The 
rest you will have by the two next posts; and I 
shall then talk at large of my pardon, &c. I have 
not yet seen Becket, but he is to come here to- 
morrow. I beg you to assure the dear Abbé of 
the tenderness of my heart towards him, and that 
the books he wish’d about the Greek accents shall 
be soon in his possession. I am very well, but 
jaded with the being two nights out of bed. I 
steal half an hour to pay my compliments to you 
in this hasty manner, I ought not to tell you that 
