The Diary Of John Evelyn Vol-2

1679. JOHN EVELYN

with those great secrets he pretended, or had any solid
ground for what he accused divers noblemen of, I have
many reasons to induce my contrary belief. That among
so many commissions as he affirmed to have delivered to
them from P. Oliva* and the Pope,—he who made no
scruple of opening all other papers, letters, and secrets,
should not only not open any of those pretended com-
missions, but not so much as take any copy or witness
of any one of them, is almost miraculous. But the Com-
mons (some leading persons I mean of them) had so
exalted him that they took all he said for Gospel, and
without more ado ruined all whom he named to be con-
spirators; nor did he spare whoever came in his way.
But, indeed, the murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey,
suspected to have been compassed by the Jesuits' party
for his intimacy with Coleman (a busy person whom I
also knew), and the fear they had that he was able to
have discovered things to their prejudice, did so exasper-
ate not only the Commons, but all the nation, that much
of these sharpnesses against the more honest Roman
Catholics who lived peaceably, is to be imputed to that
horrid fact.

The sessions ended, I dined or rather supped (so late it
was) with the judges in the large room annexed to the
place, and so returned home. Though it was not my
custom or delight to be often present at any capital
trials, we having them commonly so exactly published by
those who take them in short-hand, yet I was inclined to
be at this signal one, that by the ocular view of the car-
riages and other circumstances of the managers and
parties concerned, I might inform myself, and regulate
my opinion of a cause that had so alarmed the whole
nation.

22d July, 1679. Dined at Clapham, at Sir D. Gauden's;
went thence with him to Windsor, to assist him in a
business with his Majesty. I lay that night at Eton Col-
lege, the Provost's lodgings (Dr. Craddock), where I was
courteously entertained.

23d July, 1679. To Court: after dinner, I visited that
excellent painter, Verrio, whose works in fresco in the
King's palace, at Windsor, will celebrate his name as long
as those walls last. He showed us his pretty garden,

*Padr& Oliva, General of the Order of Jesuits. to