souls as well as bodies! The Lord Jesus pity our distressed church, and bring back the captivity of Zion!" After this the "church was reduced to a chamber and conventicle, so sharp was the persecution;" and he speaks of their assembling in a private house in Fleet Street, where they had "a great meeting of zealous Christians, who were generally much more devout and religious than in our greatest prosperity." In 1658 he speaks of the church as being "in dens and caves of the earth,” and relates an anecdote which shows that one of these visits to London for pious purposes was nearly bringing

him into serious trouble. "December 25. I went to London, with my wife, to celebrate christmas day; Mr. Gunning preaching in Exeter chapel, on Micah vii. 2. Sermon ended, as he was giving us the holy sacrament, the chapel was surrounded with soldiers, and all the communicants and assembly surprised and kept prisoners by them, some in the house, others carried away. It fell to my share to be confined to a room in the house, [Exeter house,] where yet I was permitted to dine with the master of it, and the countess of Dorset, lady Hatton, and some others of quality who invited me. In the afternoon came colonel Whaly, Goffe, and others, from Whitehall, to examine us one by one; some they committed to the Marshall, some to prison. When I came before them they took my name and abode, examined me why, contrary to an ordinance made that none should any longer observe the superstitious time of the Nativity, (so esteemed by them,) I durst offend; and particularly be at Common Prayers, which they told me was but the Mass in English, and particularly pray for Charles Stuart, for which we had no Scripture. I told them we did not pray for Charles Stuart, but for all Christian

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kings, princes, and governors. They replied, in so doing we prayed for the king of Spain too, who was their enemy, and a papist, with other frivolous and ensnaring questions, and much threatening; and finding no colour to detain me, they dismissed me with much pity of my ignorance. These were men of high flight, and above ordinances, and spake spiteful things of our Lord's Nativity. As we went up to receive the sacrament, the miscreants held their muskets against us, as if they would have shot us at the altar, but yet suffered us to finish the office of communion, as perhaps not having instructions what to do in case they found us in that action. So I got home, late the next day, blessed be God!"

Mr. Evelyn also had his children baptised in his own house by the silenced clergy, "because the parish minister," he says, "durst not have officiated according to the form and usage of the Church of England, to which I always adhered.”

Another token of Mr. Evelyn's desire to please God was his making choice of a spiritual adviser, and that so pious and devout a person as Dr. Jeremy Taylor.

On the 31st of March 1655, he says, "I made a visit to Dr. Jeremy Taylor, to confer with him about some spiritual matters, using him thenceforward as my ghostly father. I beseech God Almighty to make me ever mindful of, and thankful for, his heavenly assistances."

At what time their acquaintance commenced cannot now be ascertained, but we find Evelyn amongst the hearers of Taylor when the latter preached in London, and early in the year 1654 we meet with a letter from Evelyn to Taylor, the language of which implies that they had some previous knowledge of each other. Taylor had fallen under the displeasure of the government, in consequence of some remarks which he made in the preface to

his Golden Grove, in behalf of monarchy and the persecuted church. Evelyn expresses the anxiety occasioned to him by the tidings of Taylor's calamity, congratulates him on his release from prison, and thanks him for his example of the patient endurance of tribulation, by which he preached as effectually in his "chains as in the chair, in the prison as in the pulpit." In another letter, the date of which is involved in some uncertainty, Evelyn condoles with his friend, who was evidently again in bondage.

From their subsequent correspondence it may be proper here to quote a few passages, particularly such as will illustrate Evelyn's piety and manner of life.

Taylor to Evelyn, Nov. 21, 1655.-"..... There could not, be given me a greater or more persuasive testimony of the reality of your piety and care, than that you pass to greater degrees of caution, and the love of God. It is the work of your life, and I perceive you betake yourself heartily to it. The God of Heaven and earth prosper you and accept you!"

Taylor to Evelyn." St. Paul's Convers. Jan. 25, 1556. I perceived by your symptoms how the spirits of pious men are affected in this evil time..... Yet I am highly persuaded that to good men and wise, a persecution is nothing but the changing the circumstances of religion, and the manner of the forms and appendages of divine worship. Public or private is all one; the first hath the advantage of society, the second of love. There is more warmth and light in that; there is a heat and zeal in this .... Sir, I thank you for the kind expressions at the latter end of your letter; you have never troubled me, neither can I pretend to any other return from you but that of your love and prayers."

Taylor to Evelyn, April 16, 1656, written a few days

after having dined with the latter at Sayes Court in company with the philosophers Berkeley, Boyle, and Wilkins ; —“Sir, I did believe myself so very much bound to you for your so kind, so friendly reception of me in your literary retreat, that I had some little wonder upon me when I saw you making excuses that it was no better. Sir, I came to see you and your lady, and am highly pleased that I did so, and found all your circumstances to be an heap and union of blessings. But I have not either so great a fancy of the prettiness of your abode, or so low an opinion of your prudence and piety, as to think you can be any way transported with them. I know the pleasure of them is gone off from their height before one month's possession, and that strangers and seldom-seers feel the beauty of them more than you who dwell with them. I am pleased indeed at the order and cleanness of all your outward things; and look upon you, not only as a person, by way of thankfulness to God for his mercies and goodness to you, specially obliged to a greater measure of piety; but also as one who, being freed in great degrees from secular cares and impediments, can without excuse and allay intend [devote yourself to] what you so passionately desire, the service of God."

In the same letter he speaks of having heard with some regret that Evelyn was about to publish a translation of Lucretius. He feared that amidst the reflections of the heathen philosopher, the truths of the gospel might be forgotten or undervalued; and availing himself of the privilege of a friend and spiritual counsellor, urged Evelyn to supply a "sufficient antidote," either by notes or in a preface. He further requested him to "employ the same pen in the glorifications of God," suggesting "divine things as worthy subjects for his

poesy and spare hours." We have no evidence, however, that Evelyn ever complied with his friend's wishes.

Evelyn to Taylor,-in answer; (April 27, 1656.)-"...I hope I shall prevail with you that I may have the honour to see you again at my poor villa, when my respects are less diverted, and that I may treat you without ceremony and constraint. For it were fitting you did see how I live when I am by myself, who cannot but pronounce me guilty of many vanities, deprehending [finding] me (as you did) at a time when I was to gratify so many curious persons, to whom I had been greatly obliged, and for whom I have much value. I suppose you think me very happy in these outward things; but really I take so little satisfaction in them, that the censure of singularity would not affright me from embracing an hermitage, if I found that they did in the least distract my thoughts from better things; or that I did not take more pleasure and incomparable felicity in that intercourse which it pleases God to permit me, in vouchsafing so unworthy a person to prostrate himself before Him, and contemplate his goodness. These are indeed gay things, and men esteem me happy, but I, a polluted and guilty sinner, am oppressed day and night with the fear of being called to my account. Whilst that account is in suspense, who can truly enjoy anything in this life without an alloy? For I am always dreading that I shall deceive myself by false security."*

With regard to the translation of Lucretius, he says in this letter, that he has endeavoured to guard against giving currency to any evil sentiments, and promises to proceed with caution, remembering his friend's counsel. The First Book was published in 1656; but the work was never finished, and many years after he speaks of it as having

• The sentences in italics are in Latin in the original letter.