The Diary Of John Evelyn Vol-2

DIARY OF LONDON

could get favor at Court, because he outwitted all the
projectors that came near him. Having never known
such another genius, I cannot but mention these partic-
ulars, among a multitude of others which I could produce.
When I, who knew him in mean circumstances, have
been in "his splendid palace, he would himself be in
admiration how he arrived at it; nor was it his value or
inclination for splendid furniture and the curiosities
of the age, but his elegant lady could endure nothing
mean, or that was not magnificent. He was very negli-
gent himself, and rather so of his person, and of a phil-
osophic temper. <( "What a to-do is here!>J would he say,
tt I can lie in straw with as much satisfaction.J>

He is author of the ingenious deductions from the
bills of mortality, which go under the name of Mr.
GratLnt; also of that useful discourse of the manufacture
of wool, and several others in the register of the Royal
Society. He was also author of that paraphrase on the
io4th Psalm in Latin verse, which goes about in MS.,
and is inimitable. In a word, there is nothing impene-
trable to him.

26th March, 1675. Dr. Bridcoak was elected Bishop of
Chichester, on the translation of Dr. Gunning to Ely.

3oth March, 1675. Dr. Allestree preached on Romans,
vi. 3, the necessity of those who are baptized to die to
sin; a very excellent discourse from an excellent preacher.

25th April, 1675. Dr. Barrow, that excellent, pious,
and most learned man, divine, mathematician, poet,
traveler, and most humble person, preached at Whitehall
to the household, on Luke, xx, 27, of love and charity
to our neighbors.

2pth April, 1675. I read my first discourse, c<Of Earth
and Vegetation,» before the Royal Society as a lecture
in course, after Sir Robert Southwell had read his, the
week before ,(< On Water.» I was commanded by our
President and the suffrage of the Society, to print it.

16th May, 1675. This day was my dear friend, Mrs.
Blagg, married at the Temple Church to my friend, Mr.
Sidney Godolphin, Groom of the Bedchamber to his
Majesty.

18th May, 1675. I went to visit one Mr. Bathurst, a
Spanish merchant, my neighbor,
jrst May, 1(575.;VI.went, with Lord Qssory to Depfr-bject, and