[57] Ante, p. 204.
[58] James, in his Life, makes no mention of this lease, but only says HE continued to collect them, which conduct was not blamed; but, on the contrary, he was thanked for it, in an address from the Middle Temple, penned by Sir Bartholomew Shore, and presented by Sir Humphrey Mackworth, carrying great authority with it; nor did the Parliament find fault.
[59] In the first Dutch war, while Evelyn was one of the Commissioners for sick and wounded, L'Estrange in his "Gazette" mentioned the barbarous usage of the Dutch prisoners of war: whereupon Evelyn wrote him a very spirited letter, desiring that the Dutch Ambassador (who was then in England) and his friends would visit the prisoners, and examine their provisions; and he required L'Estrange to publish that vindication in his next number.
[60] The "Life of James II." contains an account of the circumstances of the Duke of Monmouth's birth, which may be given in illustration of the statements of the text. Ross, tutor to the Duke of Monmouth, is there said to have proposed to Bishop Cosins to sign a certificate of the King's marriage to Mrs. Barlow, though her own name was Walters: but this the Bishop refused. She was born of a gentleman's family in Wales, but having little means and less grace, came to London to make her fortune. Algernon Sydney, then a Colonel in Cromwell's army, had agreed to give her fifty broad pieces (as he told the Duke of York); but being ordered hastily away with his regiment, he missed his bargain. She went into Holland, where she fell into the hands of his brother, Colonel Robert Sydney, who kept her for some time, till the King hearing of her, got her from him. On which the Colonel was heard to say, Let who will have her, she is already sped; and, after being with the King, she was so soon with child, that the world had no cause to doubt whose child it was, and the rather that when he grew to be a man, he very much resembled the Colonel both in stature and countenance, even to a wart on his face. However, the King owned the child. In the King's absence she behaved so loosely, that on his return from his escape at Worcester he would have no further commerce with her, and she became a common prostitute at Paris.
[61] Evelyn subjoins this
note:—"As to that of the Saludador (of which likewise I remember Sir Arthur Hopton, formerly as Ambassador at Madrid, had told me many like wonders), Mr. Pepys passing through Spain, and being extremely inquisitive of the truth of these pretended miracles of the Saludadors, found a very famous one at last, to whom he offered a considerable reward if he would make a trial of the oven, or any other thing of that kind, before him; the fellow ingenuously told him, that finding he was a more than ordinary curious person, he would not deceive him, and so acknowledged that he could do none of the feats really, but that what they pretended was all a cheat, which he would easily discover, though the poor superstitious people were easily imposed upon; yet have these impostors an allowance of the Bishops to practice their jugglings. This Mr. Pepys affirmed to me; but said he, I did not conceive it fit to interrupt his Majesty, who so solemnly told what they pretended to do.
J. E."
[62] This collection was afterward purchased by Sir Hans Sloane, and now forms part o£ the British Museum.
[63] This is by no means the case now.
[64] This seems to have been added after the page was written.