re-FRAME

1662

January
***
6 ... This evening (according to costome) his Majestie opned the Revells of that night, by throwing the Dice himselfe, in the Privy Chamber, where was a table set on purpose, & lost his 100 pounds: the yeare before he won 150 pounds: The Ladys also plaied very deepe: I came away when the Duke of Ormond had won about 1000 pounds & left them still at passage, Cards &c: at other Tables, both there and at the Groome-porters, observing the wiccked folly vanity & monstrous excesse of Passion amongst some loosers, & sorry I am that such a wretched Custome as play to that excesse should be counten-anc'd in a Court, which ought to be an example of Virtue to the rest of the kingdome.
9 I saw acted the <2>d part of the Seige of Rhodes: In this acted the faire & famous Comœdian call'd Roxalana for that part she acted, & I think it was the last; then taken to be the E. of Oxfords Misse (as at this time they began to call lew'd women) it was in Recitativa Musique.
10 Being called into his Majesties Closet, when Mr. Cooper (the rare limmer) was crayoning of his face & head, to make the stamps by, for the new mill'd money, now contriving, I had the honour to hold the Candle whilst it was doing; choosing to do this at night & by candle light, for the better finding out the shadows; during which his Majestie was pleasd to discourse with me about severall things relating to Painting & Graving1
11 I dined this day at Arundell-house, where I heard excellent Musique, perform'd by the ablest Masters both French & Eng, on Theorba, Viols, Organs & Voices as an Exercise against the comming of the Queene, as purposly composd for her chapell &c: After which my Lord Aubignie (her Majesties Almoner to be) shewed us his elegant Lodging; & his wheele-chaire for Ease & motion, with divers other Curiosities, especialy a kind of artificial Glasse or Porcelan adorn'd with relievo's of Past, hard & beautifull: My L: Aubigny, bro: to the Duke of Lenox, was a person of good sence, but wholy abandon'd to Ease & effeminancy &c. I received of Sir Peter Ball (the Queenes Attourney) a draught of an Act, against the nuisance of the Smoke of Lond, to be reformed by removing severall Trades, which are the cause of it, & indanger the heal<t>h of the K: & his people &c: which was to have ben offered to the Parliament, as his Majestie commanded:
***
15 Was Indicted a generall Fast through the whole Nation, & now celebrated at Lond: to avert Gods heavy judgement on this Land, there having falln so greate raine without any frost or seasonable cold: & not onely in England, but in Sweden & the most northern parts; it being here neere as warme as at Midsomer some yeares: The wind also against our Fleete which lay at greate expenses, for a gale to to carry it to Portugal for the new Queene; and also to Land the Guarnison we were sending with the Earle of Peterborow at Tangier, now to be put into our hands, as part of the Q: portion: This solemn Fast was held for the House of Commons, at St. Margarites: ... The effect of this fast appeard, in an immediate change of wind, & season: so as our Fleete set-saile this very afternoone, having laine wind-bound a moneth:
16 Having notice of his R: Highnesse the Duke of Yorks intention to visite my poor habitation and Garden this day, I returned; where he was pleasd to do me that honour of his owne accord: and to stay some time viewing such things as I had to entertaine his curiosity; after which he caused me to dine with him at the Treasurer of the Navys house, & to sit with him coverd at the same table: There were with his Highnesse The Duke of Ormond & severall Lords: Then they viewed some of my Ground, about a project of a Sasse or recep-tacle for ships to be moored in; which was laied aside, as a fancy of Sir Nic: Crisp &c: After this I accompanied the Duke to an East India vessel that lay at Black-Wall, where we had Entertain<me>nt of several curiosities: among other spiritous drinks, as Punch &c, they gave us Canarie that had ben carried to, & brought back from the Indies, which was indeede incomparably good: So I returnd to Lond, with his highnesse. This night was acted before his Majestie the Widow, a lewd play:
18 I came home to be private a little, not at all affecting the life & hurry of Court.
22: To Lond: at our Society divers tryals about the declination of the Needle; & discourses concerning the reduction of time and Measures to a certaine standard, as by Vibration of Pendules & other proportions.
24 His Majestie entertaind me with his intentions of building his Palace of Greenewich & quite demolishing the old; on which occasion I declard him my thoughts.
***
29: at our Society, we received the Ambassador of Genöa, & Dr. Wren produced his ingenious Thermometer.
***

February
17 I went with my Lord of Bristol to see his house at Wimbledon (newly bought of Queene Mother) to help contrive the Garden after the moderne. It is a delicious place for Prospect, & the thicketts, but the soile cold & weeping clay: returned that evening with Sir Hen: Bennet.
17 This night was buried in Westminster the Queene of Bohemia (after all her sorrows & afflictions being come to die in her Nephews armes the King) & this night, & the next day fell such a storme of Haile, Thunder & lightning, as never was seene the like in any mans memorie; especialy the tempest of Wind, being South-West, which subverted besids huge trees, many houses, innumerable Chimnies, among other that of my parlor at Says Court, & made such havoc at land & sea, as severall perish'd on both: Divers lamentable fires were also kindled at this time: so exceedingly was Gods hand against this ungratefull, vicious Nation, & Court.
19. at our Assembly, discourses of Vegetation without Earth, for which I was ordered to prepare some experiments: It was therefore affirmed of an English Lady, who sweate so excessively, that a quart of water, might at any time be taken out of the Palmes of her hands, not smelling ill, & prop-ortionably from the rest of her body: Also of a little Woman at Rome who pissed about 200 weight of Water every 24. hours and dranke nothing, upon which were divers discourses & conjectures of the resolution of aire.
20 I returned home to repaire my miserably shatt<er>ed house by the late Tempest:
***

March
22. I made an accord with Mr. Scott for 150 pounds for the rectifying my son Johns crooked leg, & knee-pan:
***
24. I returned home, with my whole family, which had ben most part of the Winter since october at London in Lodgings neere the Abby of Westminster.
***

April
6. Our Viccar on 5. Eph: 14: I receivd the B: Sacrament. Being of the vestery, in the afternoone, we ordered that the Communion Table should be set (as usualy) Altarwise; with a decent raile before it, according as formerly, before the Rebellion:
***

May
7 I waited on Prince Rupert to our Assembly, where we tried severall experiments in Mr. Boyles Vaccuum: a man thrusting in his arme, upon exhaustion of the ayre had his flesh immediatly swelled, so as the bloud was neere breaking the vaines, & unsufferable: he drawing it out, we found it all speckled: ...
***
14 To Lond, being chosen one of the Commissioners about reforming the buildings, wayes, streetes, & incumbrances, & regulating the Hackny-Coaches in the Citty of Lond: taking my Oath before my Lord Chancelor, & then went to his Majesties Surveyors Office in Scotland Yard, about naming & establishing officers, adjourning til: 16: when I went to view, how St. Martines Lane might be made more passable into the strand. There were divers Gent: of quality in this Commission:
***
30 The Queene arivd, with a traine of Portugueze Ladys in their mo<n>strous fardingals or Guard-Infantas: Their complexions olivaster, & sufficiently unagreable: Her majestie in the same habit, her foretop long & turned aside very strangely: She was yet of the handsomest Countenance of all the rest, & tho low of stature pretily shaped, languishing & excellent Eyes, her teeth wronging her mouth by stiking a little too far out: for the rest sweete & lovely enough: This day was solemnly kept the Anniversary of his Majesties Birth, & restauration: Dr. Alestree preaching in the Chapell:
***

June
2: The L: Mayor & Aldermen made their Addresses, presenting her 1000 pounds in Gold: Now saw I her Portuguesse Ladys, & the Guarda Damas or mother of her maides; & the old knight, a lock of whose haire quite covered the rest of his bald-pate, bound on by a threit, very oddly: I had newes sent me from home, that a Swarme of my Bees tooke flight, & hived them selves betweene a Cabine in his Majesties ship, the Oxford fregat; which telling the King of he tooke for a good omen; desiring me that none should disturb them. I saw the rich Gudola sent his Majestie from the state of Venice, but it was not comparable for swiftnesse to our common wherries, though managed by Venetians: &c:
4. Went to visite the Earle of Bristol at Wimbledon.
8: ... I saw her Majestie at supper privately in her Bed-chamber.
9 I heard the Q: Portugals Musique, consisting of Pipes, harps, & very ill voices. Hampton Court is as noble & uniforme a Pile & as Capacious as any Gotique Architecture can have made it: There is incomparable furniture in it, espe<c>ialy hangings design'd by Raphael & very richly with gold: also many rare Pictures, especialy the Cæsarian Triumphs of Andr: Mantegna: formerly the Duke of Mantuas; & of the Tapissrys the story of Abraham, & Tobit: than which I believe the whole world shews nothing nobler of that kind: The Gallery of Hornes is very particular for the vast beames of staggs &c: Elkes, Antelops &c: The Queenes bed was an Embrodery of silver on Crimson Velvet, & cost 8000 pounds, being a present made by the states of Holland, when his Majestie returned, & had ben formerly given by them to our Kings sister, the Princesse of Orange, & being bought of here againe, now presented to the King: The greate looking-Glasse & Toilet of beaten & massive Gold was given by the Q: Mother &c: The Queene brought over with her from Portugal, such Indian Cabinets and large trunks of Laccar, as had never before ben seene here: The Greate hall is a most magnificent roome: The Chapell roofe incomparably fretted & gilt: I was also curious to visite the Wardrobe, & Tents, & other furniture of State: The Park formerly a flat, naked piece of Ground, now planted with sweete rows of lime-trees, and the Canale for water now neere perfected: also the hare park: In the Garden is a rich & noble fountaine, of Syrens & statues &c: cast in Copper by Fanelli, but no plenty of water: The Cradle Walk of horne-beame in the Garden, is for the perplexed twining of the Trees, very observable &c: Another Parterr there is which they call Paradise in which a pretty banqueting house, set over a Cave or Cellar; all these Gardens might be exceedingly improved, as being too narrow for such a Palace:
10: I returned to Lond: &c: presented my Historie of Chalcographie (dedicated to Mr. Boyle) to our Society2:...
***
19 I went to Albury in Surrey, to visite Mr. Henry Howard [since Duke of Norfolk], soone after he had procured the Dukedome to be restored &c: This Gent: had now compounded a debt of neere 200000 pounds, contracted by his Grandfath<e>r: I was much obliged to that greate virtuoso and to this young Gent: so as I staied a fortnight with him.


***

July
2: We hunted and killed a Buck in the Park, Mr. Howard inviting most of the Gent: of the Country neere him.
3. The 3d my Wife meeting me at Woodcot, whither Mr. Howard accompanied me, to see my sonn John, who had ben much brought up amongst Mr. Howards Children at Arundel house, 'til for feare of their perverting him, in the popish religion, I was forc'd to take him home; where I came late at night:
***
28: His Majestie going to sea to meete Queene-mother (now coming againe for England), met with such ill-weather, as greately indangerd him. I went to Greenewich to waite on the Queene now landed.
30: To Lond: at our Society, where was a meting about Charitable Uses, & particular to enquire how the Citty had dispos'd of the revenues of Gressham Colledge; & why the Salaries of the Professors there was no better improv'd: I was of this Commission, & so were divers Bishops & Lords of the Council, but little was the progresse we could make.
31. I sate with the Commissioners about reforming the buildings & streetes of London, & we ordered the Paving of the Way from st. James's north, which was a quagmire, & also of the Hay-market about Piqudillo, and agreed upon Instructions to be printed & published for the better-keeping the Streetes cleane: so returnd home:
***

August
13 To Lond. Our Charter being now passed under the Broad-Seale, constituting us a Corporation under the Name of the Royal-Society, for the improvement of naturall knowledge by Experiment: to Consist of a President, Council, Fellows, Secretaries, Curators, Operators, Printer, Graver & other officers, with power to make laws, purchasse land, have a peculiar Seale & other immunities & privileges &c: as at large appears in our Graunt, was this day read, & was all that was don this afternoone, it being very large:
14 ... This After-noone her Majestie Queene-Mother (with the Earle of St. Albans, & many greate Ladys & persons) was pleased to honour my poor Villa with her presence, & to accept of a Collation, being exceedingly pleased, & staying 'till very late in the Evening:
[15] The day following Came also my Lord Chancellor Earle of Clarendon (& Lady) his purse, & Mace borne before him, to Visite me, who likewise Collation'd with us, & was very merry: They had all been our old acquaintances in Exile, during the Rebellion; & indeede this greate person was ever my friend &c: his sonn, my L: Corneberry was here too:
17 Being the Sonday when the Common-prayer-booke reformed, was ordered to be used for the future, was appointed to be read: & the Solemn League & Covenant to be abjured by all the Incumbents of England, under penalties of loosing their Livings &c: our Viccar, accordingly read it this morning, and then preached an excellent Sermon on 1. Pet: 2. 13. pressing the necessity of obedience to Christian Magistrates, & especialy Kings: There were strong Guards in the Citty this day, apprehending some Tumult, many of the Presbyterian Ministers, not conforming:
I din'd at Mr. V. Chamberlaines, & then went to see the Q: Mother, who was pleased to give me many thanks for the Entertainement she receiv'd at my house, after which she recounted to me many observable stories of the Sagacity of Dogs that she had formerly had.
20: To Lond: I was this day admitted, & then Sworne one of the present Council of the Royal Society, being nominated in his Majesties Original Graunt, to be of this first Council, for the regulation of <the> Society, & making of such Laws & statutes as were conducible to its establishment & progresse: for which we now set a part every Wednesday morning, 'till they were all finished: My Lord Vicount Brounchar (that excellent Mathematitian &c) being also, by his Majestie, our Founders, nomination, our first <President>: The King being likewise pleas'd to give us the armes of England, to beare in a Canton, in our Armes, & send us a Mace of Silver guilt of the same fashion & bignesse with those carried before his Majestie to be borne before our President on Meeting-daies &c: which was brought us by Sir Gilbert Talbot, Master of his Majesties Jewelhouse.
***
23 I this day was spectator of the most magnificent Triumph that certainly ever floted on the Thames, considering the innumerable number of boates & Vessels, dressd and adornd with all imaginab<l>e Pomp: but, above all, the Thrones, Arches, Pageants & other representations, stately barges of the Lord Major, & Companies, with vari<o>us Inventions, musique, & Peales of Ordnance from both the vessels & shore, going to meet & Conduct the new Queene from Hampton Court to White-hall, at the first time of her Coming to Towne, <far> exceeding in my opinion, all the Venetian Bucentoro's &c on the Ascention, when they go to Espouse the Adriatic: his Majestie & the Queene, came in an antique-shaped open Vessell, covered with a State or Canopy of Cloth of Gold, made in forme of a Cupola, supported with high Corinthian Pillars, wreathed with flowers, festoones & Gyrlands: I was in our new-built Vessell, sailing amongst them.
***
29 The Council & Fellows of the R: Society, went in Body to White hall, to
accknowledge his Majesties royal grace, in granting our Charter, & vouchsafing to be himselfe our Founder: when our President, my L: Brounchar made an eloquent Speech, to which his Majestie gave a gracious reply, & then we all kissed his hand:
[30] Next day, we went in like manner with our addresse to my Lord High-Chancelor, who had much promoted our Patent &c: who received us with extraordinary favour: In the Evening I went to Queene-Mothers Court & had much discourse with her Majestie & so returnd home late.
***

September
17 I went to our Councel to passe severall other statutes: We had now resolved upon the Armes of the Society: that it should be a field Argent, with a Canton of the armes imperial of England: the Supporters two Talbots, argent: The Crest an Eagle or, holding a Shield with the like armes of England, viz: 3. Lions: The Word, Nullius in Verba, which was presented to his Majestie for approbation, & orders Given to Garter K. at Armes to passe the Diploma of their office for it. I returnd home:
***

October
1 To Lond: There were Vipers brought to the Society, Mr. Boyle produced 2 cleare liquors, which being mingled became a clear hard stone: There was also brought the Hippomanes or Mare-poyson: I returned home:
3. To Lond. invited to the Colledge of Physitians, where Dr. Meret a learned man, and Library-keeper shewed me the Library, Theater for Anatomies, & divers natural Curiosities,especialy the Devil Fish (as he call'd it) which being very strong, had when taken nothing in its head save sheere water, & no other braine: There were also divers skelletons: I much admired the thigh bone of an Ostridge: The Statue & epigraph under it of that renouned Physitian Dr. Harvey, inventor of the Circulation of blood:...
***
15 I this day delivered my Discourse concerning Forest-trees to our Society upon occasion of certain Queries sent us by the Commissioners of his Majesties Navy: being the first Booke that was Printed by Order of the Society, & their Printer, since it was a Corporation3:
***
21. To Q: Mothers Court: where her Majestie related to us divers Passages of her Escapes during the Rebellion & Warre in England: I dined at Court: 22d I went to my L. Tressurers, & then to our Society, where Dr. Charleton brought in his discourse of Birds, relating to the names of such, as being mention'd in divers Authors, were reduced to known birds, for rectifying the defects in most Dictionaries: Also the jaw of a Pike, wherein 'twas observed that every-other tooth was moveable upon a Muscle, the rest fix't: Dr. Whistler shewed, that the wormes breeding in Timber, were the very same with mites in cheese, onely much leaner; which produced a discourse concerning æquivocal generations, and some experiments ordered to be made about it. Next day I went home.
***
29 Was my L. Majors shew with a number of sumptuous pageantry, speeches & Verses: I was standing in an house in Cheape side, against the place prepared for their Majesties. The Prince & heire of Denmark [after: King of Denmark] was there, but not our King: There were also the Maids of honor: I went to Court this Evening and had much discourse with Dr. Basiers one of his Majesties Chaplains the greate Travellor, who shewed me the Syngraphs & original subscriptions of divers Eastern Patriarchs & Asian Churches to our Confession &<c>: I returned the next day:
31 I was now 42 years of Age: blessed be God:


***

November
4 I was invited to the Wedding of Sir Geo: Carteret the Tressurer of the Navy, & Kings Vice-Chamberlains Daughter married to Sir Nich: Slaning knight of the Bath, married by the Bish. of London in the Savoy chapell, after which was an extraordinary feast &c:
5. The Council for the R: So: met to make an end of the statute, & dined together: afterward meeting at Gressham Coll: there was discourse suggested by me, about planting his Majesties Forest of Deane with Oake now so much exhausted of the choicest ship-timber in the world:
***
21. Spent the Evening at Court, Sir Kenhelme Digby giving me greate thankes for my Sylva: & then returned home the next morning.
***
27 I went to Lond: to see the Enterance of the Russian Ambassador, whom his Majestie ordered should be received with much state, the Emperor his Master having not onely ben kind to his Majestie in his distresse, but banishing all Commerce with our Nation during the Rebellion: & first then the Citty Companies & Traind bands were all in their stations, his Majesties Army & Guards in greate order: his Excellency came in a very rich Coach, with some of his chiefe attendants; many of the rest on horse back, which being clad in their Vests, after the Eastern manner, rich furrs, Caps, & carrying the present, rendred a very exotic and magnificent shew: Some carrying Haukes, furrs, Teeth, Bows, &c:...
***

December
1. Having seene the strange, and wonderfull dexterity of the sliders on the new Canall in St. James's park, perform'd by divers Gent: & others with Scheets, after the manner of the Hollanders, with what pernicitie & swiftnesse they passe, how sudainly the<y> stop in full carriere upon the Ice, before their Majesties: I went home by Water but not without exceeding difficultie, the Thames being frozen, greate flakes of yce incompassing our boate:
***
21: <one> of his Majesties Chaplains preachd: after which, instead of the antient grave and solemn wind musique accompanying the Organ was introduced a Consort of 24 Violins betweene every pause, after the French fantastical light way, better suiting a Tavern or Play- house than a Church: This was the first time of change, & now we no more heard the Cornet, which gave life to the organ, that instrument quite left off in which the English were so skilfull:...
***
29 To Lond: Saw the Audience of the Moscovy Ambassador, which was with
extraordinary state: for his retinue being numerous, all clad in vests of several Colours, & with buskins after the Eastern manner: Their Caps of furr, & Tunicks richly embrodr<e>d with gold & pearle, made a glorious shew: The King being sate under the Canopie in the banqueting house, before the Ambassador went in a grave march the Secretary of the Embassy, holding up his Masters letter of Credence in a crimson-taffaty scarfe before his forehead: The Ambassador then deliverd it, with a profound reverence to the King, the King to our Secretary of State; it was written in a long & lofty style: Then came in the present borne by 165 of his retinue, consisting <of> Mantles & other large pieces lined with Sable, Black fox, Ermine, Persian Carpets, the ground cloth of Gold and Velvet, Sea-morce teeth aboundance, Haukes, such as they sayd never came the like: Horses, said to be Persian, Bowes & Arrows &c: which borne by so long a traine rendred it very extraordinary: Wind musick playing all the while in the Galleries above: This finish'd & the Ambassador conveyed by the Master of Ceremonies to York house, he was treated with a banquet, that cost 200 pounds, as I was assured, &c:....
***

Continue to 1663


J:E Sallis
1