INTRODUCTION xxxv 



ringing of bells and universal jubilee. This was the first 

 good omen. ' 



From the February till the April following thereon Evelyn 

 was confined to bed with ague and its after effects, but found 

 strength to write and publish a pamphlet, The late News from 

 Brussels unmasked, and His Majesty 'vindicated from the base 

 calumny and scandal therein fixed on him, in defence of his 

 Majesty, against a wicked forg'd paper, pretended to be sent 

 from Bruxells to defame his Majesties person and vertues, 

 and render him odious, now when everybody was in hope 

 and expectation of the General and Parliament recalling 

 him, and establishing ye government on its antient and 

 right basis. ' Early in May came the tidings that the King's 

 application for restoration had been accepted and acknow- 

 ledged by the Parliament c after a most bloudy and unreason- 

 able rebellion of neare 20 years, ' and before the end of the 

 month Evelyn was an eye-witness of the triumphal entry of 

 the new king into his capital. ' 29th. This day his Majestic 

 Charles the Second came to London after a sad and long 

 exile and calamitous suffering both of the King and Church, 

 being 17 years. This was also his birthday, and with a 

 triumph of above 20,000 horse and foote, brandishing their 

 swords and shouting with inexpressible joy ; the wayes 

 strew'd with flowers, the bells ringing, the streets hung with 

 tapissry, fountaines running with wine ; the Maior, Alder- 

 men, and all the Companies in their liveries, chaines of 

 gold, and banners ; Lords and Nobles clad in cloth of silver, 

 gold, and velvet ; the windowes and balconies all set with 

 ladies ; trumpets, music, and myriads of people flocking, 

 even so far as from Rochester, so as they were seven houres 

 in passing the citty, even from 2 in ye afternoone till 9 at 

 night. I stood in the Strand and beheld it, and bless'd God. 

 And all this was don without one drop of bloud shed, and 

 by that very army which rebell'd against him ; but it was ye 

 Lord's doing, for such a restoration was never mention'd in 

 any history antient or modern, since the returne of the Jews 

 from the Babylonish captivity ; nor so joyfull a day and so 

 bright ever scene in this nation, this hapning when to expect 

 or effect it was past all human policy. ' 



Despite his dilettantism and dabbling in science, philoso- 



