The Diary Of John Evelyn Vol-2

DIARY OF PORTSMOUTH

tiave me secure»; but, says he, you will remember that I
Eound nothing in any of his pockets but a cross of gold, and a
few insignificant papers »; and thereupon he showed us the
cross, and was pleased to put it into my hand. It was
of gold, about three inches long, having on one side a
crucifix enameled and embossed, the rest was graved
and garnished with goldsmiths' work, and two pretty
broad table amethysts (as I conceived), and at the bottom
a pendant pearl; within was enchased a little fragment,
as was thought, of the true cross, and a Latin inscrip-
tion in gold and Roman letters. More company coming
in, this discourse ended. I may not forget a resolution
which his Majesty made, and had a little before entered
upon it at the Council Board at Windsor or Whitehall,
that the negroes in the plantations should all be bap-
tized, exceedingly declaiming against that impiety of
their masters prohibiting it, out of a mistaken opinion
that they would be ipso facto free; but Ms Majesty per-
sists in his resolution to have them christened, which
piety the Bishop blessed .him for.

I went out to see the new palace the late King had
begun, and brought almost to the covering. It is placed
on the side of the hill, where formerly stood the old
castle. It is a stately fabric, of three sides and a corri-
dor, all built of brick, and cornished, windows and col-
umns at the break and entrance of free-stone. It was
intended for a hunting-house when his Majesty should
come to these parts, and has an incomparable prospect.
I believe there had already been ^20,000 and more ex-
pended; but his now Majesty did not -seem to encourage
the finishing it at least for a while.

Hence to see the Cathedral, a reverend pile, and in
good repair. There are still the coffins of the six Saxon
Kings, whose bones had been scattered by the sac-
rilegious rebels of 1641, in expectation, I suppose, of
finding some valuable relics, and afterward gathered up
again and put into new chests, which stand above the
stalls of the choir.

iyth September, 1685. Early next morning, we went
to Portsmouth, something before his Majesty arrived.
We found all the road full of people, the women in their
best dress, in expectation of seeing the King pass by,
which he did, riding on horseback a good part of th» to interrupt his Majesty, who so solemnly told