The Diary Of John Evelyn Vol-2

1689 JOHN EVELYN

given them, worth five-and-forty shillings. On the one
side were the effigies of the King and Queen inclining
one to the other; on the reverse was Jupiter throwing a
bolt at Phaeton the words, <( Ne totus absumatur^: which
was but dull, seeing they might have had out of the
poet something as apposite. The sculpture was very
mean.

Much of the splendor of the proceeding was abated by
the absence of divers who should have contributed to it,
there being but five Bishops, four Judges (no more being
yet sworn), and several noblemen and great ladies want-
ing; the feast, however, was magnificent. The next day
the House of Commons went and kissed their new Ma-
jesties' hands in the Banqueting House.

12th April, 1689. I went with the Bishop of St. Asaph
to visit my Lord of Canterbury at Lambeth, who had
excused himself from officiating at the coronation, which
was performed by the Bishop of London, assisted by the
Archbishop of York. We had much private and free dis-
course with his Grace concerning several things relating
to the Church, there being now a bill of comprehension
to be brought from the Lords to the Commons. I urged
that when they went about to reform some particulars
in the Liturgy, Church discipline, Canons, etc., the bap-
tizing in private houses without necessity might be
reformed, as likewise so frequent burials in churches;
the one proceeding much from the pride of women, bring-
ing that into custom which was only indulged in case
of imminent danger, and out of necessity during the
rebellion, and persecution of the clergy in our late civil
wars; the other from the avarice of ministers, who, in
some opulent parishes, made almost as much of permis-
sion to bury in the chancel and the church, as of their
livings, and were paid with considerable advantage and
gifts for baptizing in chambers. To this they heartily
assented, and promised their endeavor to get it reformed,
utterly disliking both practices as novel and indecent

We discoursed likewise of the great disturbance and
prejudice it might cause, should the new oath, now on
the anvil, be imposed on any, save such as were in new
office, without any retrospect to such as either had no
office, or had been long in office, who it was likely would
have some scruples about taking a new oath, haviugurally,