John Evelyn, Esq. to Dr. Browne. 



Co. Garden, Lond. 28 Jan. [1657-8J. 



Honoured Sir, 



By the mediation of that noble person, Mr. 

 Paston, and an extraordinary humanity of your owne, 

 I find I haue made acquisition of such a subsidiary, as 

 nothing but his greate favour to me, and your com- 

 municable nature could haue procur'd me. It is now, 

 therefore, that I dare promise myselfe successe in my 

 attempt ; and it is certaine that I will very justly owne 

 your favours with all due acknowledgements, as the 

 most obliging of all my correspondents. I perceive 

 you haue seene the proplasma and delineation of my 

 designe l which, to avoyde the infinite copying for 



1 A projected work bearing the title, Elysium Brittanniatm, 

 the plan of which is given in Upcott's Miscellaneous Writing' 

 of J. Evelyn, Esq. This work was intended to comprise 

 forty distinct subjects, or chapters, disposed in three books. 

 One of the chapters was " Of ike coronary garden, \Sfc." to 

 which Sir Thomas Browne's tract, ** Of garlands, and coronary 

 or garland plants," was intended as a contribution. The 

 work, however, was never completed : though parts of it 

 remain among the MSS. at Wotton. One chapter only, 

 "Of Sallets," was published in 1699, under the title, 

 " A:etaria ; a Discourse of Sallets." (See post, p. 193.) 



173 



