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by which might be moderated (he adds) that unreasonable statute for their relief (as now in force) occasioning more idle persons, who charge the publiq without all reamedy, than otherwise there would be, insufferably burning the parishes, by being made to earne their bread honestly, who now eate it in idleness, and take it out of the mouthes of the truely indigent, much inferior in number, and worthy objects of charity.'

This letter was written in 1696; so early did the abuse of the Poor Laws engage the attention of speculative men, though Mr. Evelyn could suggest no better remedy for the evil than that the State should provide the superfluous hands with employment; while in 1697, Mr. Locke, one of the new Lords of Trade, recommended the separate maintenance of the children of the Poor: schemes equally at variance with any sound principles of political wisdom. In the same letter, Mr. Evelyn calls upon the Government to interfere to discourage the 'progress and increase of buildings about this already monstrous Citty, wherein one yeare with another are erected about 800 houses, as I am credibly inform'd; which carrys away such prodigious 'summs of our best and weightiest mony by the Norway trade for deale-timber onely, but exports nothing hence of moment to balance it.' Could the worthy Projector rise from his grave, it is hard to say which would confound and appal him most, the size of our metropolis with its suburban dependencies, or the amount of our Poor's rate.

Truly, My Ld, he continues, I cannot but wonder, and even stand amaz'd that Parliaments should have sate from time to time, so many hundred yeares, and value their constitution to that degree, as the most sovraine remedy for the redresse of publiq grievances; whilst the greatest still remaine unreform'd and untaken away. Witnesse the confus'd, debauch'd, and riotous manner of electing members qualified to become the representatives of a Nation, wth legislative power to dispose of the fate of kingdomes; which should and would be compos'd of worthy persons, of known integritie and ability in their respective countries, and still would serve them generously, and as their ancestors have don, but are not able to fling away a son or daughter's portion to bribe the votes of a drunken multitude, more resembling a pagan Bacchanalia, than an assembly of Christians and sober men met upon the most solemn occasions that can concerne a people, and stand in competition with some rich scrivener, brewer, banker, or one in some gainfull office, whose face or name, perhaps, they never saw or knew before. How my L', must this sound abroad! With what dishonour and shame at home!

To this add the disproportion of the Boroughs capable of electing members, by which the major part of the whole kingdom are frequently out-voted, be the cause never so unjust, if it concerne a party intrest.'

Parliaments have sate above another hundred years since this remonstrance was uttered; but Reform has got a worse name than ever.

A few Letters of Mrs. Evelyn's are annexed to the Correspondence. She was a woman in every way worthy of her husband, highly accomplished, yet perfectly unaffected, uniting singular good sense to great amiableness of temper, and to crown all her other excellencies, a good housewife; as the following extracts may testify.

'I wonder at nothing more than at the ambition of printing letters; since, if the designe be to produce witte and learning, there is too little scope for the one, and the other may be reduced to a lesse compasse than a sheet of gilt paper, unlesse truth were more communicative. Buisinesse, love, accidents, secret displeasure, family intrigues, generally make up the body of letters, and can signifie very little to any besides the persons they are addressed to, and therefore must loose infinitely by being exposed to the unconcerned. Without this declaration I hope I am sufficiently secure never to runne the hazard of being censured that way, since I cannot suspect my friends of so much unkindnesse, nor myselfe of the vanity to wish fame on so doubtfull a foundation as the caprice of mankind.'

Another letter to the same correspondent, Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Bohun, we must give entire.

" Sr.

'Do not think my silence hitherto has proceeded from being taken up with the diversions of the Towne, the eclat of the Wedding, Mascarades which trebled their number the second night of the wedding [so] that there was great disorder and confusion caused by it, and with which the solemnity ended; neither can I charge the Houswifry of the Country after my returne, or treating my neighbours this Christmas, since I never finde any buisinesse or recreation that makes me forget my Friends. Should I confesse the reall cause, it is y' expectation of extraordinary notions of things wholy out of my way; Women were not borne to read Authors, and censure the Learned, to compare Lives and judge of Virtues, to give rules of Morality, and sacrifice to the Muses. We are willing to acknowledge all time borrowed from Family duties is misspent; the case of Children's education, observing a Husband's comands, assisting the Sick, relieving the Poore, and being serviceable to our friends, are of sufficient weight to employ the most improved capacities amongst us. If sometimes it happens by accident that one of a thousand aspires a little higher, her fate commonly exposes her to wonder, but adds little to esteeme. The Distaff will defend our quarrells as well as the Sword, and the Needle is as instructive as the Penne. A Heroine is a kinde of prodigy; the influence of a blasinge starre is not more dangerous, or more avoyded. Though I have lived under the roofe of the Learned, and in the neighbourhood of Science, it has had no other effect on such temper as mine, but that of admiration, and that too but when it is reduced to practice. I confesse I

am infinitely delighted to meet with in books the atchievements of the Heroes, with the calmnesse of Philosophers, and with the cloquence of Orators; but what charms me irresistably is to see perfect resignation in the minds of men let what ever happens adverse to them in their fortune; that is being knowing and truly wise; it confirms my beleefe of antiquity, and engages my perswasion of future perfection, without which it were in vaine to live. Hope not for volumes or treatises; Raillery may make me goe beyonde my bounds, but when serious, I esteeme myselfe capable of very little, yet I am, S',

Your friend and servant,

M. E.'

Jan. 4, 1672. Mrs. Evelyn, after being happy in the love and friendship' of her husband fifty-eight years and nine months, was left a widow in the 71st year of her age. The last memorandum in" Mr. Evelyn's diary, is dated Feb. 3, 1706. He died on the 27th day of the same month, having attained his eighty-sixth year.

The remainder of the first part of the second volume consists of a discourse of sumptuary laws;' an unfinished treatise of manuscripts; and a 'Narrative of the Encounter between the French and Spanish Ambassadors at the Landing of the Swedish Ambassador, Sept. 30, 1661,' drawn up by command of Charles II.;-an affray in which it was attempted to settle by the logic of cold iron, the important point of national precedence between the Monsieur and the Don, and in which some half dozen lives were lost on both sides, besides nearly forty wounded. The scarce tract here reprinted, on sumptuary laws,' entitled "Tyrannus or the Mode," is a very ingenious and lively satire on English dress, and is curious as containing historical notices of several ephemeral fashions. We must make room for a few paragraphs.

'Twas a witty expression of Malvezzi; i vestimenti negli Animali sono molto sicuri segni della loro natura, negli Huomini del lor ceruello, Garments (says he) in animals are infallible signes of their nature; in Men, of their understanding. Though I would not judge of the Monk by the hood he wears; or celebrate the humour of Julian's Court, where the Philosophic Mantle made all his officers appear like so many Conjurors; 'tis worth the observing yet, that the people of Rome left off the Toga, an ancient and noble garment, with their power, and that the vicissitude of their habite was little better than a presage of that of their fortune. For the Military Saga differencing them little from their Slaves, was no small indication of the declining of their courage, which shortly followed. And I am of opinion that when once wee shall see the Venetian Senat quit the gravity of their Vests, the State itself will not long subsist without some considerable alteration. 'Tis not a trivial remark (which I have somewhere met with) that when a Nation is able to impose and give Laws to the Habit of another (as the late Tartars did in China) it has (like that of Language) proved the forerunner of

their conquests there; because, as it has something of shew and magisterial, so it gaines them a boldnesse and an assurance, which easily introduces them without being taken notice of for strangers where they come; til by degrees they insinuate themselves into all those places where the Mode is taken up, and so much in credit. I am of opinion that the Swisse had not been now a Nation, but for keeping to their prodigious Breeches

Methinks a French Taylor with his ell in his hand, looks like the enchantress Circe over the companions of Ulysses, and changes them into as many formes: one while we are made to be loose in our clothes ...... and by and by, appear like so many Malefactors sew'd up in sacks, as of old they were wont to treat a Parricide, with a dog, an ape, and a serpent. Now we are all Twist, and at a distance look like a pair of Tongs, and anon stuff'd out behind like a Dutchman. This Gallant goes so pinch'd in the Wast, as if he were prepar'd for the question of the Fiery Plate in Turky; and that so loose in the middle, as if he would turn Insect, or drop in two; now the short Wast and Skirts in Pye-court is the mode, then the Wide Hose, or (which is more shame. full) like Nero's lacernata Amica, the Man in coats again; Monstrum geminum, de viro famina, mor de fæmina vir. So as one who should judge by the appearance, would take us all to be of kin to the fellow who begs without arms, or some great man's fools: Methinks we should learn to handle distaffe too; Hercules did so when he courted Omphale, and those who sacrificed to Ceres put on the petty-coat with much con fidence. A man cannot say now, as when Lucian scoff'd at Cinicus, Quid tu tandem barbam quidem habes et comam, tunicam non habes? On the reverse, all men now wear coats, and no beards. O prodigious folly !'

I do assure you I knew a French woman (famous for her dexterity and invention) protest, that the English did so torment her for the Mode, still jealous least she should not have brought them over the newest edition of it, that she us'd monthly to devise us new fancies of her own head, which were never worn in France, to pacifie her customers. But this was in the days of Old Noll that signal Vertumnus??

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We deride the Spaniard for his odd shape, not for his constancy in it. Let it be considered that those who seldom change the Mode of their country, have as seldom alter'd their affections to the Prince. Laws are in credit as they are ancient; and the very alteration of elements, weather and dyet, are full of perill; 'tis that renders ts weak, old, sick, and at last destroyes us: so as 'twas not without advice that the Lawes of Plato did descend to the care even of Habits in that his perfect Idea, allowing it only to Curtesans and Comedians to vary dresses, since 'twas but a kind of hypocrisie to be every day in a new shape and mascarad.'

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The essay contains a patriotic recommendation of woollens instead of silk, made thin, light, and glossie for Summer, thick, close, and more substantial for the Winter;' a dress inferior

(he says) to no covering under Heaven.' 'How glorious to our Prince, when he should behold all his subjects clad with the production of his own Country!' And it closes with prescribing some other improvements in dress, which were afterwards brought in. That anti-picturesque appendage, the hat, does not escape the Satirist's remark.

The wisest and most healthy of the ancients went continually bareheaded; so Masinissa, Cæsar, so Hannibal us'd to go: But when I must be cover'd, I infinitely prefer the Buchingamo or Montero lately reform'd, before any other whatever, because it is most manly, usefull and steady. I have heard say that when a Turk would execrate one that displeases him, he wishes him as unstable as a Christian's Hat; and in effect 'tis observed, that no man can so plant it on another man's head but the owner do's immediately alter it, nor is it ever certain. All that can be reply'd in its behalf is, that it shades the face but so would a Tuft of Feathers in the Montero, which is light and serviceable when the sun is hot, and at other times ornamental.'

We have left ourselves no room to notice, otherwise than very generally, the documents which form Part II. of the second VoJume; but, indeed, their value and interest arise altogether from the illustrations they incidentally furnish of the history of that period; and we could make no use of them without going very much into biographical details. They consist of a private correspondence between Charles I. and Sir Edward Nicholas, beginning in the year 1641, when the King visited Scotland, and continuing, at intervals, to the year 1648; a correspondence afterwards carried on by the same trusty secretary, with Charles II. and the Queen of Bohemia; some unpublished letters to and from Sir Edward Hyde (afterwards earl of Clarendon) and Sir Rich. Browne; and some state papers elucidatory of the transactions of the period. Mr. Bray has taken considerable pains to render this portion of the volumes interesting, by illustrative notes, which display very extensive reading, and contain much acceptable information. The whole work, indeed, reflects the highest credit on the respectable Editor; and its value is much enhanced by the copious Indexes to the Diary and Letters, and to the Private Correspondence. There are some very good portraits,-Mr. Evelyn and his Lady, Sir Edward Nicholas, and Sir Richard Browne, besides some views and plans of the estates of the Evelyn family,