John Evelyn (1620–1706)

I read Evelyn's Diary after having read Pepys' and Boswell's. The first quarter of Evelyn's Diary about his voyages in France and Italy is really dull. This is a mere description of monuments, with only very few anecdotes. The diary written during the Restoration is much more interesting. I found the description of the damage caused by the Great Fire much better than what Pepys wrote himself. It's also funny to remark that, although Pepys and Evelyn knew each other quite well and frequented show more the same persons, they had different affinities with the royals. For instance, Evelyn almost never mention the Duke of York, while Pepys does a lot. This is perhaps due to the Duke being a Catholic while Evelyn was a Protestant not willing to compromise with Papists... show less

Fascinating collection of horticulture, forestry, folklore and so on. The 1786 edition is the one with the plates.

Book Description: London: Bickers and Son, 1906. Cloth. Good. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. A 'new edition' 4 volume set, including the life of Evelyn and a memorial preface, both by Wheatley. Gold stamp to front covers of all volumes bright, with many illustrations.

TO DORA W[ORDSWORTH],
On Being Asked by Her Father to Write in Her Album

An Album is a Banquet: from the store,
In his intelligential Orchard growing,
Your Sire might heap your board to overflowing;
One shaking of the Tree -- 'twould ask no more
To set a Salad forth, more rich than that
Which Evelyn in his princely cookery fancied:
Or that more rare, by Eve's neat hands enhanced,
Where, a pleased guest, the angelic Virtue sat.
But like the all-grasping Founder of the Feast,
Whom Nathan to show more the sinning king did tax,
From his less wealthy neighbours he exacts;
Spares his own flocks, and takes the poor man's beast.
Obedient to his bidding, lo, I am,
A zealous, meek, contributory

LAMB. show less