MR. JOHN EVELYN. 



25 



given a great character of our Author : " Mr. John Evelyn," says he, 

 " hath very considerably advanced the history of fruit and forest-trees, 

 " by his Silva and Pomona ; and greater things are expected from his 

 " preparations for the Elysium Britannicum ; a noble design now under 

 " his hands. And certainly the inquisitive world is much indebted to 

 " this generous gentleman for his very ingenious performances in this 

 " kind : as also for those others of sculpture, picture, architecture, and 

 " the like useful things, with which he hath enriched it." The learned 

 and judicious Mr. Wotton, in his "Reflections on ancient and modern 

 " learning," speaks of Mr. Evelyn in still higher terms ; and says, " that 

 " it may be esteemed a small character of Mr. Evelyn's Silva, or Dis- 

 " course of Forest- trees, to say that it outdoes all that Theophrastus and 

 " Pliny have left us on that subject ; for it not only does that and a great 

 " deal more, but contains more useful precepts, hints, and discoveries 

 " upon that now so necessary a part of our res 7mstica, than the world 

 " had till then known from all the observations of former ages." Bishop 

 Burnet, acknowledging some communications from him, styles him, " a 

 " most ingenious and virtuous gentleman, who is not satisfied to have 

 " advanced the knowledge of this age by his own most useful and suc- 

 " cessful labours about Planting, and divers other ways, but is ready to 

 contribute every thing in his power to perfect other men's endeavours." 

 Another eminent Author, speaking of hisNumismata, gives the following 

 character of that book and its Author: " We might justly have expected, 

 " whatever could have been desired on this subject, from the excellently 

 " learned pen of Mr. Evelyn, had he bent his thoughts, as was believed, 

 " towards the consideration of our British coins as well as medals. It 

 " now appears that his Numismata carried him no farther than those 

 " larger and more choice pieces that are usually called by this latter 

 " name, whereon he has indeed treated with the accuracy and fineness 

 *' which became a gentleman and scholar." 



By his excellent wife, who survived him about three years, he had 

 five sons and three daughters. Of the latter, one only survived him, 

 Susanna, married to William Draper, Esq. of Adscomb, in Surrey. Of 

 the former, all died young except Mr. John Evelyn, the Author of many 

 Translations both in prose and verse, and of some original compositions in 



