22 



THE LIFE OF 



In the year 1669, Mr. Evelyn made a journey to Oxford, where he was 

 honoured with a Doctor of Law's degree, as a mark of gratitude for the 

 credit and services he had done them. To say the truth, he obtained all 

 his honours without any solicitations of his own. Thus, when King 

 Charles II. in order to promote trade, thought proper to erect a board 

 for that purpose, and named several persons of great rank to be members 

 of that council, he appointed Mr. Evelyn to be amongst them ; who, to 

 express his gratitude for the favour, digested in a short and plain dis- 

 course, the chief heads of the history of trade and navigation, and dedi- 

 cated it to the King. The title of it runs thus : 21. « Navigation and 

 " Commerce ; their original and progress : containing a succinct account 

 " of traffic in general ; its benefits and improvements ; of discoveries, 

 " wars, and conflicts at sea, from the original of navigation to this day ; 

 " with special regard to the English Nation ; their several voyages and 

 " expeditions, to the beginning of our late differences with Holland : in 

 " which his Majestj^^'s title to the dominion of the sea, is asserted against 

 <' the novel and later Pretenders." 1674, 12mo. The Koyal Society 

 having ordered that every member of the council should in his turn pro- 

 nounce, at their several meetings, a discourse on some subject of experi-^ 

 mental philosophy, Mr. Evelyn presented them with a treatise, entitled: 

 22. " Terra : A Philosophical Discourse of Earth, relating to the culture 

 " and improvement of it for vegetation, and the propagation of plants."— 

 This celebrated work was first printed in 1675, since which time it has 

 undergone several impressions. The last edition was published in 1 778, in 

 8vo, with notes by Dr. Hunter of York. The winter of 1683 being memo- 

 rably severe, the fine plantations of our Author at Sayes-Court suffered 

 inseparable damage ; of which he gave a philosophical and pathetical 

 account to the Royal Society the succeeding spring. But the Czar of 

 INIuscovy, who afterwards resided in this house of Mr. Evelyn, for the 

 sake of being near Deptford-yard, is said to have committed almost as 

 great devastations on his delicious garden as this lamentable frost. 



After the accession of Ejng James II. we find Mr, Evelyn, in De- 

 cember 1685, appointed, with Lord Viscount Tiviot and Colonel Robert 

 Philips, one of the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord Privy- 

 seal, in the absence of Henry Earl of Clarendon, Lord Lieutenant of 

 Ireland ; which place he held till the 11th of March, 1686, when the 



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