INTRODUCTION xxxvii 



afterwards, in 1666, a change in costume then adopted by the 

 King and court was due to this cause. He, too, donned and 

 went to office in ' the vest and surcoat and tunic as 'twas 

 call'd, after his Majesty had brought the whole Court to it. 

 It was a comely and manly habit, too good to hold, it being 

 impossible for us in good earnest to leave ye Monsieurs 

 vanities long. ' 



At length employment, at first unpaid, in the public 

 service fell to Evelyn in May, 1662, when along with * divers 

 gentlemen of quality, ' he was appointed one of the Commis- 

 sioners * for reforming the buildings, wayes, streetes, and 

 incumbrances, and regulating the hackney coaches in the 

 Citty of London. ' About this same time he was also on 

 the Commission appointed * about Charitable uses, and 

 particularly to enquire how the Citty had dispos'd of the 

 revenues of Gressham College, ' and in the original grant of 

 the Charter of the Royal Society he was nominated by the 

 King to be on its Council. Among the other Commissions 

 upon which he shortly sat were those on Sewers, and on the 

 regulation of the Mint at the Tower ; but it was not till 

 27 Oct. 1664 that he received a paid appointment as one of 

 the four Commissioners for the care of the sick and wounded 

 prisoners to be made in the war declared against Holland. 

 For this the remuneration was 'a Salary 1,200 a year 

 amongst 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. ' 



Before this, however, an event had occurred which must 

 have given intense gratification to Evelyn, when on 3Oth April, 

 1663, ' Came his Majesty to honour my poore villa with his 

 presence, viewing the gardens and even every roome of the 

 house, and was pleas'd to take a small refreshment. There 

 were with him the Duke of Richmond, E. of St. Albans, 

 Lord Lauderdale, and several persons of Quality. ' 



The year 1664 was a busy one for Evelyn, as he then 

 brought out his two great masterpieces Syha and the 

 Kalendarium Horteme^ of which more anon, as well as the 

 translation of a French work on Architecture. His official 

 duties in connection with the maintainance of the Dutch 

 prisoners also became so heavy that the charges came to 



