The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700
Excerpts from Evelyn's Diary
Brent Nelson
general editor
Evelyn, John. Diary: Now First Printed in Full from the Mss. Belonging to John
Evelyn. 6 vols. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1955.
[Excerpt from vol. 2, July 1654]
104July 6] I saw [my] prety boy,
return’d early to Lond, & the next day, met my Wife and company at 
Oxford, which
being on the 7th was the Eve of the Act: [July 8] Next day was spent in hearing severall
exercises in the Sholes, & after dinner the Procter opened the Act at St. Maries (according to
custome) & the Praevaricators their drolery, then
the Doctors disputed, & so we supp’d at Waddum Coll: The
9th
Dr. French
preechd at St. Maries on 12: Matt:
42, advising the Students the Search after true Wisdome, not to be
had in the books of 105
Philosophers, but Scriptures:
in the afternoone the famous Independent Dr.
Owen, perstringing Episcopacy: he was now Cromwells Vice-Chancellor: We din'd with Dr. Ward,
Mathematical Professor [since Bish: of Salisbury],
& at night Supp'd in Balliol Coll: Hall, where I had once ben student &
fellow Commoner, where they made me
extraordinarily wellcome, but I might have spent the Evening as well.
10 On Monday I went againe to the Scholes to
heare the severall faculties, & in the Afternoone tarried out the whole
Act in St.
Maries. The long speeches of the Proctors: The V: Chancelors, the severall Professars, Creation of
Doctors, by the Cap, ring, Kisse &c: those Ceremonies not as yet wholy
abolish'd, but retaining the antient Ceremonies & Institution: Dr. Kendals
(now Inceptor amongst others) performing his Act incomparably well,
concluded it with an excellent Oration, abating his Presbyterian animositie,
which he with-held not even against that Learned & pious divine Dr. Hammond: The
Act was closd, with the Spech of the V: Chancellor.
There being but 4 In Theologie, 3 in Medicine, which was thought a considerable matter,
the times consider'd: I din'd at on[e] Monsieur Fiats, a student at Excester Coll: & supped at a
magnificent Entertainement 106 in Waddum Hall, invited by my excellent &
deare Friend Dr.
Wilkins, then Warden [now Bishop of Chester]: on the Eleventh
was the Latine Sermon which I could not be at,
invited, being taken-up at All-Soules, where we had Music, voices & Theorbes perform’d by some ingenious Scholars, where
after dinner I visited that miracle of a Youth, Mr. Christopher Wren, nephew to Bishop of Elie: then Mr. Barlow [since Bishop of Lincoln] Bibliothe[c]arius of the Bodlean Library, my most learned
friend, who shewd me, together with my Wife, The rarities of that famous place, 
Manuscrip[t]s,
Medails & other Curiosities. Amongst the MSS an old English Bible[*]It was a manuscript copy of Wycliffe's translation: 'And
thei wenten doun bothe into the watir, Filip and the gelding, and
Filip baptiside hym': Acts viii. 38. For the possible manuscripts
see Wycliffite Versions of the Holy Bible.
Ed. Josiah Forshall and Sir Frederic Madden. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1850, vol. 1, pp. xlvi-xlvii. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 106, n. 5).
wherein the Eunuch mention'd to be baptizd by Philip, is cald the Gelding, & Philip &
the Gelding went down into the Water &c, also
the Original Acta of the Council of Basil, 900 years since, with the Bulla
or leaden Affix, which has a silken Chord,
passing thro every parchment: likewise a MS: of Ven: Beades[*]Possibly Bede's
Commentary on the Proverbs (MS. Bodl.
819), a ninth-century manuscript given to the library in
1602: Macray, pp.
27-8. (Diary, ed. de Beer,
vol. 3, p. 107, n. 1). of 800 years 107
antiquity: together with the old Ritual secundum Usum
Sarum,[*]The Catalogus impressorum librorum,
1674, gives three copies: fol., Paris, 1555; 4to,
Rouen, 1621 (error for 1521); and a third without place or date.
For the bibliography of the work see Missale ad usum ... ecclesicae Sarum,
ed. F. H. Dickinson, 1883, introd. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n.
2). exceeding voluminous: Then amongst the nicer
curiosities: The Proverbial Solaman written in French, by a Lady every Chapter of a severall Character, or
hand, the most exquisitely imaginable[*]The manuscript is in French; it was
written by Esther Inglis
(Langlois), 1571-1624, wife of Bartholomew Kello. It is
dated 1599 and was given to the library in
1620: Macray, p.
62. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3,
p. 107, n. 3): An Hieroglypical Table, or Carta folded up like a Map, I suppose it painted
on Asses hide, extreamely rare[*]Said by Macray to
be Mexican; perhaps Arch. Bodl. A. 75: Macray, pp.
109, 466. (Diary, ed. de Beer,
vol. 3, p. 107, n. 4).: but what is most illustrious,
were the no lesse than 1000 MSS: in 19
Languages, espe[c]ialy Oriental, furnishing that new part of the
Library, built by A:
Bishop Lawd[*]The western wing (Selden end) of
the library was built in 1634-40 during Laud's chancellorship of
the university and was at first called 'Laud's library'; he does
not appear to have contributed towards its cost, but the
collection of manuscripts given by him to the library in 1635-40
(1,299 manuscripts in eighteen languages) was originally kept
here with the Digby and Pembroke MSS.: Macray, pp.
81, 83-8; A. Wood, History ... of the University of Oxford, ed.
Gutch, 1792-6, ii. 939-42. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n.
5): some of Sir Kenhelme Digby,[*]Digby gave 238
manuscripts to the library in 1634:
Macray, pp. 78-81. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n. 6)
& the Earle of
Pembroch[*]William Herbert, third earl of
Pembroke, 1580-1630,gave 242 Greek manuscripts (the Barocci
Collection) to the library in 1629: Macray, pp.
68-72. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol.
3, p. 107, n. 7): In the Closset of the Tower,[*]Perhaps the
'Archive of the School Tower': J. Pointer, Oxoniensis Academia, 1749, p. 143; cf. p.
141; and 'the closett' in Wood, Life and Times, iv. 57; see also
R. W. T. Gunther, Early science
in Oxford, 1923, sqq., iii. 252-3. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n.
8) they shew,Josephs parti
colourd Coate[*]This object is mentioned under this name by a
traveller in 1638, in the library
accounts for 1662, and by Monconys in
1663: Gunther, iii.
253; Macray, pp. 129, 131
(quoting Monconys, ii. 52-3). Macray
identifies it as a coat of 'Tartar lamb' brought from Russia and given to the
library in 1615: Macray,
pp. 51, 413-4 (Diary, ed. de
Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n. 9).
A Muscovian Ladys Whip,[*]Cf. 'Russia Whips' in
the 'Musaeum': Pointer, p. 159 (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n.
10)
some Indian
Weapons, Urnes, Lamps: &c: but the
rarest, is the 108Whole Alcoran written in one large sheete
of Calico, which is made up in a Priests Vesture
or Cape after the Turkish, & the Arabic Character so exquisitely written, as no
printed letter comes neere it[*]A Turkish
vestment of linen given by Richard Davydge in 1653 (MS. Bodl. Or. 162): Macray, p.
108. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol.
3, p. 108, n. 1): Also a rolle of Magical Charmes or Periapta,[*] For periapta see above, ii. 236.
This roll is not traceable (Diary, ed. de
Beer, vol. 3, p. 108, n. 2)
divers Talismans, some Medails: Then I led my Wife into the Convocation house finely
Wainscoted; The Divinity Schole & gothic Carv’d roofe; the Physick Or Anatomie
Schole,[*]This occupied the western half of the first floor of the south side
of the School's quadrangle; since 1789 it has formed part of the
Bodleian: Gunther, iii. 252; Macray, p. 272;
for its contents c. 1680 see Gunther iii 260-3. The order of
Evelyn's visits to the various parts of the School's building
probably differed from that of his notices. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 108, n. 4)
adorn’d with some rarities of natural
things; but nothing extraordinary, save the Skin of a Jaccal, a rarely Colour’d Jacatroo, or prodigious large Parot,[*]In former editions of the diary this word was
printed 'jacatoo'. This was its only recorded ocurrence and the
OED recorded suggests an error for cacatoo, cockatoo. The word
as now printed is not recorded elsewhere; the resemblance to the
place-name Jacatra (in Java) is perhaps worth noting. Gunther
suggests macaw: iii. 261 (Diary, ed. de
Beer, vol. 3, p. 108, n. 5)
two humming birds, not
much bigger than our humble bee: which indeede I
had not seene before that I remember. &c.
12 We went to St. Johns, saw the Library, & the 2
Skeletons, which are finely cleanse’d,
& put together: observable are also the store of Mathematical Instruments, all of them chiefly
given by the late A: Bishop Lawd, who built here an handsome
Quadrangle: Thence we went to New-Coll:
where the Chapell was in its
antient garb, not withstanding the Scrupulositie of the Times:
Thence to Christ-Church, in whose 109
Library was shew'd us an Office of Hen: 8, the writing,
Miniature & gilding whereof is equal if not surpassing any curiosity
I had ever seene of that kind: It was given, by their founder, the Cardinal Wolsy: The Glasse Windos of the Cathedral (famous in my time) I found
much abused: The ample Hall, & Columne that spreads its Capitel to sustaine the roofe as one gos up the
Stayres is very remarkable: Next we walked to Magdalen Coll: where we saw the Library & Chapell, which was likewise in
pontifical order, the Altar onely I think turn’d Table-wise: & there was still the double Organ, which abominations (as now esteem’d) were
almost universaly demolish’d: Mr. Gibbon that famous Musitian, giving us a tast of his skill & Talent on that
Instrument: Hence we went to the Physick Garden, where the Sensitive [& Humble] 110 plant was
shew’d us for a greate wonder. There Grew Canes, Olive
Tres, Rhubarb,
but no extraordinary curiosities, besides very good fruit, which when the
Ladys had tasted, we return’d in a Coach to our Lodging.
13 We all din’d, at that most obliging &
universaly Curious Dr. Wilkins's, at Waddum, who was the first who shew'd me the Transparant Apiaries,[*]One type is
described by Wren in a letter dated 26 Feb. 1654/5 to Samuel
Hartlib (below, p. 162), printed in The
reformed commonwealth of bees. Presented in severall letters
... to Sammuel Hartlib Esq., 1655 ' pp. 50-1; diagram
p. 52; another type described (by Hartlib?), p. 56. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 110, n.
1) which he had built like Castles & Palaces & so ordered them one upon another,
as to take the Hony without destroying the Bees; These were adorn'd with variety of Dials, little Statues, Vanes &c: very
ornamental, & he was so aboundantly civill, as finding me pleasd
with them, to present me one of these Hives,
which he had empty, & which I afterwards had in my Garden at Says-Court,
many Yeares after; & which his
Majestie came on purpose to see & contemplate with much
satisfaction[*]Charles II visited Sayes Court on 30 April 1663:
notice below. Pepys saw this hive on 5 May 1665 (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 110, n.
2): He had also contrivd
an hollow Statue which gave a Voice, & utterd words, by
a long & conceald pipe which went to its mouth, whilst one spake
thro it, at a good distance, & which at first was very
Surprizing: He had above in his Gallery & Lodgings variety of Shadows, Dyals, Perspe[c]tives, places
to introduce the Species,[*]This refers to
Wilkins's preparatory work for his Essay towards a real
character, and a philosophical language, 1668. The language was
to be composed not of words but of notions; for its creation it
was necessary to find out 'all the sorts of simple notions'; a
'species' similar to those used in algebra to denote quantities
could then be used to designate each notion. Wilkins was at this
time working under the influence of Seth Ward: [Seth Ward], Vindicicae academiarum, 1654, pp. 19-22;
epistle to the reader, prefixed to Wilkins's Essay; Plot, Oxfordishire, pp.
282-5; OED., s.v. Species 8b. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 110, n.
3) & many other
artif[i]cial, mathematical, Magical curiosities: A Way-Wiser,[*]An instrument for measuring
and indicating a distance travelled by road; it is one of
the '20 Ingenuities' recently discovered mentioned in Samuel Hartlib, His Legacie (see
above, pp. 85-6 n.); see also 0ED. A way-wiser given by
Wilkins to the Royal Society is described by N. Grew, Musaeum Regalis Societatis (below, 2
April 1666, n.), pp. 360-1. (Diary,
ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 110, n. 4)
a Thermometer;
111a monstrous Magnes, Conic & other Sections, a Balance
on a demie Circle, most of them of his owne &
that prodigious young Scholar, Mr. Chr: Wren, who presented me with a piece of White
marble he had stained with a lively red very deepe, as
beautifull as if it had ben natural.[*]Wood claims the discovery of
'the paynting or stayning of marble' for an Oxford
stone-cutter named William Bird (Byrd), c. 1658: Life and Times, i.
241; see also Philosophical
transactions, i (1665), 125-7; and Plot, Oxford-shire, p. 277. (
Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 111, n. 1)
Thus satisfied with the Civilities of Oxford …
[Excerpt from vol. 3, October 1664]
38425 Came to visite my Lord Cornbery
(whose father my L: H: Chancelor of England, was also now Chancelor of the University) the Vice-Chancellor, who with the Dr. Fell, Deane of Christ-Church,
Warden of Queenes, the learnd Dr. Barlow, & severall heads of houses
came to visite my Lord, & next day Invited him & us all to
dinner:
I went to visite Mr. Boyle now here, whom I found with Dr. Wallis & Dr. Chr: Wren in
the Tower at the
Scholes, with an
inverted Tube or Telescope
observing the Discus of the Sunn for the passing of ☿ that day before the Sunn; but the 385Latitude was so greate, that nothing appeared: So we went to see
the rarities in the Library, where the Library keepers, shewed me my name,
among the Benefactors: They have a Cabinet of some Medails, & Pictures of the Muscular parts of Mans body: Thence
to the new Theater, building now at an exceeding & royal Expense
by the L: A: B: of Canterbury, to keepe the Acts in for the future, 'til now being in St. Maries church: The foundation being
but newly laied & the whole, Design’d by that incomparable genius, &
my worthy friend Dr. Chr:
Wren, who shewed me the Model, not disdaining my advise
in some particulars: Thence to see the Picture on the Wall over the Altar at All-Soules, being the largest piece of
Fresco painting (or rather in Imitation of it, 386for tis in oyle
[of Terpentine]) in England, & not ill design'd, by the hand of one Fuller: yet I
fear it will not hold long, & seemes too full of nakeds for a Chapell:
Thence to New-Coll: & the Painting
of Magdalens Chapell, which is on blue
Cloth in Chiaro Oscuro by one
Greeneborow, being a Cœna Domini & Judgement
[on] the Wall by Fuller, as is the
other, somewhat varied: Next to Waddam, & the Physi[c]k Garden where were two
large Locust Trees,[*]This appears to
be an error for lotus or lote-trees, also called nettle-trees;
the existence of at least one here in 1658 is shown by the Catalogus Horti Botanici Oxoniensis of
that year; it contains nothing that can be identified as a
locust-tree. In Sylva Evelyn mentions the
lotus (ed. 1664, p. 58); longer notice in later editions) but
not the locust (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol.
3, p. 386, n. 5) & as many Platana[*]They are not mentioned
in the Catalogus of 1658. The plane is
sometimes said to have been introduced by Bacon; it was
evidently still very rare; Evelyn was given a specimen by Sir
George Croke to whom he attributes its successful introduction:
see successive notices in Sylva, 1664, p.
58. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 386,
n. 6), & some rare Plants under the
Culture of old Bobart.
Oxford, which
being on the 7th was the Eve of the Act: [July 8] Next day was spent in hearing severall
exercises in the Sholes, & after dinner the Procter opened the Act at St. Maries (according to
custome) & the Praevaricators their drolery, then
the Doctors disputed, & so we supp’d at Waddum Coll: The
9th
Dr. French
preechd at St. Maries on 12: Matt:
42, advising the Students the Search after true Wisdome, not to be
had in the books of 105
Philosophers, but Scriptures:
in the afternoone the famous Independent Dr.
Owen, perstringing Episcopacy: he was now Cromwells Vice-Chancellor: We din'd with Dr. Ward,
Mathematical Professor [since Bish: of Salisbury],
& at night Supp'd in Balliol Coll: Hall, where I had once ben student &
fellow Commoner, where they made me
extraordinarily wellcome, but I might have spent the Evening as well.
10 On Monday I went againe to the Scholes to
heare the severall faculties, & in the Afternoone tarried out the whole
Act in St.
Maries. The long speeches of the Proctors: The V: Chancelors, the severall Professars, Creation of
Doctors, by the Cap, ring, Kisse &c: those Ceremonies not as yet wholy
abolish'd, but retaining the antient Ceremonies & Institution: Dr. Kendals
(now Inceptor amongst others) performing his Act incomparably well,
concluded it with an excellent Oration, abating his Presbyterian animositie,
which he with-held not even against that Learned & pious divine Dr. Hammond: The
Act was closd, with the Spech of the V: Chancellor.
There being but 4 In Theologie, 3 in Medicine, which was thought a considerable matter,
the times consider'd: I din'd at on[e] Monsieur Fiats, a student at Excester Coll: & supped at a
magnificent Entertainement 106 in Waddum Hall, invited by my excellent &
deare Friend Dr.
Wilkins, then Warden [now Bishop of Chester]: on the Eleventh
was the Latine Sermon which I could not be at,
invited, being taken-up at All-Soules, where we had Music, voices & Theorbes perform’d by some ingenious Scholars, where
after dinner I visited that miracle of a Youth, Mr. Christopher Wren, nephew to Bishop of Elie: then Mr. Barlow [since Bishop of Lincoln] Bibliothe[c]arius of the Bodlean Library, my most learned
friend, who shewd me, together with my Wife, The rarities of that famous place, Manuscrip[t]s,
Medails & other Curiosities. Amongst the MSS an old English Bible[*]It was a manuscript copy of Wycliffe's translation: 'And
thei wenten doun bothe into the watir, Filip and the gelding, and
Filip baptiside hym': Acts viii. 38. For the possible manuscripts
see Wycliffite Versions of the Holy Bible.
Ed. Josiah Forshall and Sir Frederic Madden. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1850, vol. 1, pp. xlvi-xlvii. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 106, n. 5).
wherein the Eunuch mention'd to be baptizd by Philip, is cald the Gelding, & Philip &
the Gelding went down into the Water &c, also
the Original Acta of the Council of Basil, 900 years since, with the Bulla
or leaden Affix, which has a silken Chord,
passing thro every parchment: likewise a MS: of Ven: Beades[*]Possibly Bede's
Commentary on the Proverbs (MS. Bodl.
819), a ninth-century manuscript given to the library in
1602: Macray, pp.
27-8. (Diary, ed. de Beer,
vol. 3, p. 107, n. 1). of 800 years 107
antiquity: together with the old Ritual secundum Usum
Sarum,[*]The Catalogus impressorum librorum,
1674, gives three copies: fol., Paris, 1555; 4to,
Rouen, 1621 (error for 1521); and a third without place or date.
For the bibliography of the work see Missale ad usum ... ecclesicae Sarum,
ed. F. H. Dickinson, 1883, introd. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n.
2). exceeding voluminous: Then amongst the nicer
curiosities: The Proverbial Solaman written in French, by a Lady every Chapter of a severall Character, or
hand, the most exquisitely imaginable[*]The manuscript is in French; it was
written by Esther Inglis
(Langlois), 1571-1624, wife of Bartholomew Kello. It is
dated 1599 and was given to the library in
1620: Macray, p.
62. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3,
p. 107, n. 3): An Hieroglypical Table, or Carta folded up like a Map, I suppose it painted
on Asses hide, extreamely rare[*]Said by Macray to
be Mexican; perhaps Arch. Bodl. A. 75: Macray, pp.
109, 466. (Diary, ed. de Beer,
vol. 3, p. 107, n. 4).: but what is most illustrious,
were the no lesse than 1000 MSS: in 19
Languages, espe[c]ialy Oriental, furnishing that new part of the
Library, built by A:
Bishop Lawd[*]The western wing (Selden end) of
the library was built in 1634-40 during Laud's chancellorship of
the university and was at first called 'Laud's library'; he does
not appear to have contributed towards its cost, but the
collection of manuscripts given by him to the library in 1635-40
(1,299 manuscripts in eighteen languages) was originally kept
here with the Digby and Pembroke MSS.: Macray, pp.
81, 83-8; A. Wood, History ... of the University of Oxford, ed.
Gutch, 1792-6, ii. 939-42. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n.
5): some of Sir Kenhelme Digby,[*]Digby gave 238
manuscripts to the library in 1634:
Macray, pp. 78-81. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n. 6)
& the Earle of
Pembroch[*]William Herbert, third earl of
Pembroke, 1580-1630,gave 242 Greek manuscripts (the Barocci
Collection) to the library in 1629: Macray, pp.
68-72. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol.
3, p. 107, n. 7): In the Closset of the Tower,[*]Perhaps the
'Archive of the School Tower': J. Pointer, Oxoniensis Academia, 1749, p. 143; cf. p.
141; and 'the closett' in Wood, Life and Times, iv. 57; see also
R. W. T. Gunther, Early science
in Oxford, 1923, sqq., iii. 252-3. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n.
8) they shew,Josephs parti
colourd Coate[*]This object is mentioned under this name by a
traveller in 1638, in the library
accounts for 1662, and by Monconys in
1663: Gunther, iii.
253; Macray, pp. 129, 131
(quoting Monconys, ii. 52-3). Macray
identifies it as a coat of 'Tartar lamb' brought from Russia and given to the
library in 1615: Macray,
pp. 51, 413-4 (Diary, ed. de
Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n. 9).
A Muscovian Ladys Whip,[*]Cf. 'Russia Whips' in
the 'Musaeum': Pointer, p. 159 (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n.
10)
some Indian
Weapons, Urnes, Lamps: &c: but the
rarest, is the 108Whole Alcoran written in one large sheete
of Calico, which is made up in a Priests Vesture
or Cape after the Turkish, & the Arabic Character so exquisitely written, as no
printed letter comes neere it[*]A Turkish
vestment of linen given by Richard Davydge in 1653 (MS. Bodl. Or. 162): Macray, p.
108. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol.
3, p. 108, n. 1): Also a rolle of Magical Charmes or Periapta,[*] For periapta see above, ii. 236.
This roll is not traceable (Diary, ed. de
Beer, vol. 3, p. 108, n. 2)
divers Talismans, some Medails: Then I led my Wife into the Convocation house finely
Wainscoted; The Divinity Schole & gothic Carv’d roofe; the Physick Or Anatomie
Schole,[*]This occupied the western half of the first floor of the south side
of the School's quadrangle; since 1789 it has formed part of the
Bodleian: Gunther, iii. 252; Macray, p. 272;
for its contents c. 1680 see Gunther iii 260-3. The order of
Evelyn's visits to the various parts of the School's building
probably differed from that of his notices. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 108, n. 4)
adorn’d with some rarities of natural
things; but nothing extraordinary, save the Skin of a Jaccal, a rarely Colour’d Jacatroo, or prodigious large Parot,[*]In former editions of the diary this word was
printed 'jacatoo'. This was its only recorded ocurrence and the
OED recorded suggests an error for cacatoo, cockatoo. The word
as now printed is not recorded elsewhere; the resemblance to the
place-name Jacatra (in Java) is perhaps worth noting. Gunther
suggests macaw: iii. 261 (Diary, ed. de
Beer, vol. 3, p. 108, n. 5)
two humming birds, not
much bigger than our humble bee: which indeede I
had not seene before that I remember. &c.
12 We went to St. Johns, saw the Library, & the 2
Skeletons, which are finely cleanse’d,
& put together: observable are also the store of Mathematical Instruments, all of them chiefly
given by the late A: Bishop Lawd, who built here an handsome
Quadrangle: Thence we went to New-Coll:
where the Chapell was in its
antient garb, not withstanding the Scrupulositie of the Times:
Thence to Christ-Church, in whose 109
Library was shew'd us an Office of Hen: 8, the writing,
Miniature & gilding whereof is equal if not surpassing any curiosity
I had ever seene of that kind: It was given, by their founder, the Cardinal Wolsy: The Glasse Windos of the Cathedral (famous in my time) I found
much abused: The ample Hall, & Columne that spreads its Capitel to sustaine the roofe as one gos up the
Stayres is very remarkable: Next we walked to Magdalen Coll: where we saw the Library & Chapell, which was likewise in
pontifical order, the Altar onely I think turn’d Table-wise: & there was still the double Organ, which abominations (as now esteem’d) were
almost universaly demolish’d: Mr. Gibbon that famous Musitian, giving us a tast of his skill & Talent on that
Instrument: Hence we went to the Physick Garden, where the Sensitive [& Humble] 110 plant was
shew’d us for a greate wonder. There Grew Canes, Olive
Tres, Rhubarb,
but no extraordinary curiosities, besides very good fruit, which when the
Ladys had tasted, we return’d in a Coach to our Lodging.
13 We all din’d, at that most obliging &
universaly Curious Dr. Wilkins's, at Waddum, who was the first who shew'd me the Transparant Apiaries,[*]One type is
described by Wren in a letter dated 26 Feb. 1654/5 to Samuel
Hartlib (below, p. 162), printed in The
reformed commonwealth of bees. Presented in severall letters
... to Sammuel Hartlib Esq., 1655 ' pp. 50-1; diagram
p. 52; another type described (by Hartlib?), p. 56. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 110, n.
1) which he had built like Castles & Palaces & so ordered them one upon another,
as to take the Hony without destroying the Bees; These were adorn'd with variety of Dials, little Statues, Vanes &c: very
ornamental, & he was so aboundantly civill, as finding me pleasd
with them, to present me one of these Hives,
which he had empty, & which I afterwards had in my Garden at Says-Court,
many Yeares after; & which his
Majestie came on purpose to see & contemplate with much
satisfaction[*]Charles II visited Sayes Court on 30 April 1663:
notice below. Pepys saw this hive on 5 May 1665 (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 110, n.
2): He had also contrivd
an hollow Statue which gave a Voice, & utterd words, by
a long & conceald pipe which went to its mouth, whilst one spake
thro it, at a good distance, & which at first was very
Surprizing: He had above in his Gallery & Lodgings variety of Shadows, Dyals, Perspe[c]tives, places
to introduce the Species,[*]This refers to
Wilkins's preparatory work for his Essay towards a real
character, and a philosophical language, 1668. The language was
to be composed not of words but of notions; for its creation it
was necessary to find out 'all the sorts of simple notions'; a
'species' similar to those used in algebra to denote quantities
could then be used to designate each notion. Wilkins was at this
time working under the influence of Seth Ward: [Seth Ward], Vindicicae academiarum, 1654, pp. 19-22;
epistle to the reader, prefixed to Wilkins's Essay; Plot, Oxfordishire, pp.
282-5; OED., s.v. Species 8b. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 110, n.
3) & many other
artif[i]cial, mathematical, Magical curiosities: A Way-Wiser,[*]An instrument for measuring
and indicating a distance travelled by road; it is one of
the '20 Ingenuities' recently discovered mentioned in Samuel Hartlib, His Legacie (see
above, pp. 85-6 n.); see also 0ED. A way-wiser given by
Wilkins to the Royal Society is described by N. Grew, Musaeum Regalis Societatis (below, 2
April 1666, n.), pp. 360-1. (Diary,
ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 110, n. 4)
a Thermometer;
111a monstrous Magnes, Conic & other Sections, a Balance
on a demie Circle, most of them of his owne &
that prodigious young Scholar, Mr. Chr: Wren, who presented me with a piece of White
marble he had stained with a lively red very deepe, as
beautifull as if it had ben natural.[*]Wood claims the discovery of
'the paynting or stayning of marble' for an Oxford
stone-cutter named William Bird (Byrd), c. 1658: Life and Times, i.
241; see also Philosophical
transactions, i (1665), 125-7; and Plot, Oxford-shire, p. 277. (
Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 111, n. 1)
Thus satisfied with the Civilities of Oxford …
[Excerpt from vol. 3, October 1664]
38425 Came to visite my Lord Cornbery
(whose father my L: H: Chancelor of England, was also now Chancelor of the University) the Vice-Chancellor, who with the Dr. Fell, Deane of Christ-Church,
Warden of Queenes, the learnd Dr. Barlow, & severall heads of houses
came to visite my Lord, & next day Invited him & us all to
dinner:
I went to visite Mr. Boyle now here, whom I found with Dr. Wallis & Dr. Chr: Wren in
the Tower at the
Scholes, with an
inverted Tube or Telescope
observing the Discus of the Sunn for the passing of ☿ that day before the Sunn; but the 385Latitude was so greate, that nothing appeared: So we went to see
the rarities in the Library, where the Library keepers, shewed me my name,
among the Benefactors: They have a Cabinet of some Medails, & Pictures of the Muscular parts of Mans body: Thence
to the new Theater, building now at an exceeding & royal Expense
by the L: A: B: of Canterbury, to keepe the Acts in for the future, 'til now being in St. Maries church: The foundation being
but newly laied & the whole, Design’d by that incomparable genius, &
my worthy friend Dr. Chr:
Wren, who shewed me the Model, not disdaining my advise
in some particulars: Thence to see the Picture on the Wall over the Altar at All-Soules, being the largest piece of
Fresco painting (or rather in Imitation of it, 386for tis in oyle
[of Terpentine]) in England, & not ill design'd, by the hand of one Fuller: yet I
fear it will not hold long, & seemes too full of nakeds for a Chapell:
Thence to New-Coll: & the Painting
of Magdalens Chapell, which is on blue
Cloth in Chiaro Oscuro by one
Greeneborow, being a Cœna Domini & Judgement
[on] the Wall by Fuller, as is the
other, somewhat varied: Next to Waddam, & the Physi[c]k Garden where were two
large Locust Trees,[*]This appears to
be an error for lotus or lote-trees, also called nettle-trees;
the existence of at least one here in 1658 is shown by the Catalogus Horti Botanici Oxoniensis of
that year; it contains nothing that can be identified as a
locust-tree. In Sylva Evelyn mentions the
lotus (ed. 1664, p. 58); longer notice in later editions) but
not the locust (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol.
3, p. 386, n. 5) & as many Platana[*]They are not mentioned
in the Catalogus of 1658. The plane is
sometimes said to have been introduced by Bacon; it was
evidently still very rare; Evelyn was given a specimen by Sir
George Croke to whom he attributes its successful introduction:
see successive notices in Sylva, 1664, p.
58. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 386,
n. 6), & some rare Plants under the
Culture of old Bobart.