The Diary Of John Evelyn Vol-2

DIARY OF LONDON

the Duchess of Cleveland; the Archbishop of Canterbury
officiating, the King and the grandees being present. I
had a favor given me by my Lady; but took no great
joy at the thing for many reasons.

i8th August, 1672. Sir James Hayes, Secretary to
Prince Rupert, dined with me; after dinner I was sent to
Gravesend to dispose of no fewer than 800 sick men.
That night I got to the fleet at the buoy of the <( Nore,»
where I spoke with the King and the Duke; and, after
dinner next day, returned to Gravesend.

ist September, 1672. I spent this week in soliciting
for moneys, and in reading to my Lord Clifford my papers
relating to the first Holland war. Now, our Council of
Plantations met at Lord Shaftesbury's (Chancellor of the
Exchequer) to read and reform the draft of our new
Patent, joining the Council of Trade to our political ca-
pacities. After this, I returned home, in order to an-
other excursion to the seaside, to get as many as possible
of the men who were recovered on board the fleet.

8th September, 1672. I lay at Gravesend, thence to
Rochester, returning on the nth.

i5th September, 1672. Dr. Duport, Greek Professor of
Cambridge, preached before the King, on i Timothy vi.
6, No great preacher, but a very worthy and learned
man.

25th September, 1672. I dined at Lord John Berke-
ley's, newly arrived out of Ireland, where he had been
Deputy; it was in his new house, or rather palace; for I
am assured it stood him in near ^30,000. It was very
well built, and has many noble rooms, but they are not
very convenient, consisting but of one Corps de Log-is;
they are all rooms of state, without closets. The stair-
case is of cedar, the furniture is princely: the kitchen
and stables are ill placed, and the corridor worse, having
no report to the wings they join to. For the rest, the
fore-court is noble, so are the stables; and, above all,
the gardens, which are incomparable by reason of the
inequality of the ground, and a pretty piscina. The holly
hedges on the terrace I advised the planting of. The
porticos are in imitation of a house described by Pal-
ladio; but it happens to be the worst in his book,
though my good friend, Mr. Hugh May, his Lordship's
architect, effected itly fifteen years old. his guards; and the Dean and Preben-