I arrived at London on the 7th
Year: 1643 (Page 2 of 2)
Lying by the way from Wotton at Sir Ralph Whitfield’s, at Blechingley (whither both my brothers had conducted me),
but, finding it impossible to evade the doing very unhandsome things, and which had been a great cause of my perpetual motions hitherto between Wotton and London, October the 2d, I obtained a license of his Majesty ((This seems to suggest that he had obtained a previous license. But that now granted evidently did not, like the license issued to James Howell by the Lords of the Council in 1617, include a prohibition to visit Rome (see post, under 4th November, 1644). –AD)), dated at Oxford and signed by the King, to travel again.
The Covenant being pressed, I absented myself;
I sent my black menage horse (([Horse trained for war in the riding academy. Evelyn’s contemporary, the Duke of Newcastle (see post, under 18th April, 1667), is said to have taken particular pleasure in “ Horses of Mannage,” and Scott makes Edward Waverley familiar with “the arts of the manège” (ch. vii.). The Duke, it may be remembered, wrote two famous works on horsemanship. ] –AD See also Menage – GS)) and furniture with a friend to his Majesty, then at Oxford.
On the 4th I returned, with no little regret, for the confusion that threatened us. Resolving to possess myself in some quiet, if it might be, in a time of so great jealousy, I built by my brother’s permission, a study, made a fish-pond, an island, and some other solitudes and retirements at Wotton; which gave the first occasion of improving them to those waterworks and gardens which afterward succeeded them, and became at that time the most famous of England.
Wotton house and grounds in Surrey. Etching by J. Evelyn, 1653. (Wikipedia)
I went from Wotton to London, where I saw the furious and zealous people demolish that stately Cross in Cheapside.
The Demolition of Cheapside Cross (Old and New London, Illustrated, by Walter Thornbury 1873, Wikipedia)
To Hatfield, and near the town of Hertford I went to see Sir J. Harrison’s house new built. Returning to London, I called to see his Majesty’s house and gardens at Theobald’s, since demolished by the rebels.
I went to see my Lord of Salisbury’s Palace at Hatfield, where the most considerable rarity, besides the house (inferior to few then in England for its architecture), were the garden and vineyard, rarely well watered and planted. They also showed us the picture of Secretary Cecil, in Mosaic work, very well done by some Italian hand.
I must not forget what amazed us exceedingly in the night before, namely, a shining cloud in the air, in shape resembling a sword, the point reaching to the north; it was as bright as the moon, the rest of the sky being very serene. It began about eleven at night, and vanished not till above one, being seen by all the south of England. I made many journeys to and from London.
I went to Hartingford-berry to visit my cousin, Keightly.
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