The Diary Of John Evelyn Vol-2

DIARY OP GREENWICH

the country; a very worthy and virtuous young gentle-
man.

12th June, 1684. I went to advise and give directions
about the building of two streets in Berkeley Garden, re-
serving the house and as much of the garden as the
breadth of the house. In the meantime, I could not but
deplore that sweet place (by far the most noble gardens,
courts, and accommodations, stately porticos, etc., any-
where about the town) should be so much straitened
and turned into tenements. But that magnificent pile
and gardens contiguous to it, built by the late Lord
Chancellor Clarendon, being all demolished, and designed
for piazzas and buildings, was some excuse for my Lady
Berkeley's resolution of letting out her ground also for
so excessive a price as was offered, advancing near
;£i,ooo per annum in mere ground rents; to such a mad
intemperance was the age come of building about a city,
by far too disproportionate already to the nation :* I hav-
ing in my time seen it almost as large again as it was
within my memory.

22d June, 1684. Last Friday,. Sir Thomas Armstrong
was executed at Tyburn for treason, without trial, having
been outlawed and apprehended in Holland, on the con-
spiracy of the Duke of Monmouth, Lord Russell, etc.,
which gave occasion of discourse to people and lawyers,
in regard it was on an outlawry that judgment was given
and execution, f

2d July, 1684. I went to the Observatory at Green-
wich, where Mr. Plamsted took his observations of the
eclipse of the sun, now almost three parts obscured.

There had been an excessively hot and dry spring, and
such a drought still continued as. never was in my mem-
ory.

13th July, 1684. Some small sprinkling of rain; the
leaves dropping from the trees as in autumn.

*What would Evelyn think if lie could see what is now called Lon-
don ?

f When brought up for judgment, Armstrong insisted on his right to
a trial, the act giving that right to those who came in within a year,
and the year not having expired. Jefferies refused it; and when Arm-
strong insisted that he asked nothing but law, Jefferies told him he
should have it to the full, and ordered his execution in six days. When
Jeff eries went to the King at Windsor soon after, the King took a ring
from Ms finger and gave it to Jefferies. BURNET, ii. 989.cules, fight with the Centaurs,