An Apologie for the Royal Party (1659)

Part 1

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The original has many inconsistent spellings. A few corrections have been made for obvious typographical errors; they have been noted individually at the end of the text. Some words are unclear; they have also been noted.

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The Augustan Reprint Society

John Evelyn An Apologie for the Royal Party (1659); and A Panegyric to Charles the Second (1661)

With an Introduction by Geoffrey Keynes

Publication Number 28

Los Angeles William Andrews Clark Memorial Library University of California 1951

GENERAL EDITORS

H. RICHARD ARCHER, Clark Memorial Library RICHARD C. BOYS, University of Michigan EDWARD NILES HOOKER, University of California, Los Angeles JOHN LOFTIS, University of California, Los Angeles

ASSISTANT EDITOR

W. EARL BRITTON, University of Michigan

ADVISORY EDITORS

EMMETT L. AVERY, State College of Washington BENJAMIN BOYCE, Duke University LOUIS I. BREDVOLD, University of Michigan CLEANTH BROOKS, Yale University JAMES L. CLIFFORD, Columbia University ARTHUR FRIEDMAN, University of Chicago LOUIS A. LANDA, Princeton University SAMUEL H. MONK, university Of Minnesota ERNEST MOSSNER, University of Texas JAMES SUTHERLAND, Queen Mary College, London H. T. SWEDENBERG, JR., University of California, Los Angeles

INTRODUCTION

On October 24, 1659, a quarto pamphlet was published in London with the following title: "The Army's Plea for Their present Practice: tendered to the consideration of all ingenuous and impartial men. Printed and published by special command. London, Printed by Henry Hills, Printer to the Army, dwelling in Aldersgate Street next door to the Peacock. 1659". Three days afterwards, on October 27, John Evelyn had finished writing an answer, which was published a week later, on November 4, under the title: "An Apologie for the Royal Party ... With a Touch At the pretended Plea for the Army. Anno Dom. MDCLIX". No author's name, printer or place was given. Evelyn afterwards made the note in his Diary under the date November 7, 1659, that is, three days after the actual publication: "Was publish'd my bold Apologie for the King in His time of danger, when it was capital to speak or write in favour of him. It was twice printed, so universaly it took." Evelyn was by conviction an ardent royalist, but by temperament he was peaceable, and the publication of this pamphlet was a courageous act on his part, involving considerable risks.

The Apologie for the Royal Party contains an eloquent and outspoken attack upon the parliamentary party, the depth of the author's feelings making his style of writing more effective than it usually was.

Events were at this date nearing their climax, and Evelyn, soon after the publication of his pamphlet, made persistent attempts to induce Colonel Henry Morley, then Lieutenant of the Tower of London, to declare for the King. In the edition of Baker's Chronicle of the Kings of England, edited by Edward Phillips, 1665, is given the following account of the negotiations (p. 736): "Mr. Evelyn gave him [Col. Morley] some visits to attemper his affection by degrees to a confidence in him, & then by consequence to ingage him in his designes; and to induce him the more powerfully thereunto, he put into his hands an excellent and unanswerable hardy treatise by him written and severall times reprinted, intituled An Apology for the Royall Party, which he backed with so good Argument and dextrous Addresses in the prosecution of them, that, after some private discourse, the Colonel was so well inclin'd, as to recommend to him the procurement of his Majestie's Grace for him, his Brother-in-law Mr. Fagg, and one or two more of his Relations". Phillips added an account of a letter written by Evelyn to Colonel Morley, and gave him great credit for the influence which he exerted, though Evelyn endorsed a draft of the narrative with a statement saying there "was too much said concerning me". Nevertheless part of the narrative was confirmed by Evelyn when he wrote on the title-page of the copy of the pamphlet here reproduced: "Delivered to Coll. Morley a few daies after his contest w^th Lambert in the palace yard by J. Evelyn". The "contest" with General Lambert took place on October 12 or 13 when Morley, pistol in hand, refused to allow him at the head of his troops to pass through the Palace Yard.

Evelyn also wrote on the title-page of this copy of his pamphlet "three tymes printed". In fact there were four printings, all described in the writer's John Evelyn, a Study in Bibliophily & a Bibliography of his Writings, New York, The Grolier Club, 1937, the one here reproduced being the fourth and final form. Nevertheless all four issues are now extremely scarce, the first printing being known in three copies (one in the United States), the second in seven (two in the United States), the third in one, and the fourth in one. This apparently unique relic of Evelyn's bold gesture on behalf of his King is in the writer's possession and is still as issued, edges untrimmed and with its eight leaves stitched in a contemporary paper wrapper. It has been reprinted only in Evelyn's Miscellaneous Writings, 1825, pp. 169-192.

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When Charles II actually returned to England in 1660 Evelyn's feelings were deeply stirred. He had played some part in the restoration of the monarchy, and, with his literary instinct, naturally felt impelled to be among those who wished to present the King with an address on the day of his Coronation. This took place on April 23, 1661, and on the following day Evelyn recorded in his Diary: "I presented his Ma^tie with his Panegyric in the Private Chamber, which he was pleas'd to accept most graciously: I gave copies to the Lord Chancellor and most of the noblemen who came to me for it." Evelyn's Panegyric was thus distributed privately and no doubt in small number, so that it is today extremely uncommon, being known only in five copies, not more than one of which is in the United States of America. Evelyn possessed a copy in 1687 according to his library catalogue compiled in that year, and a copy (not necessarily the same one) is now among his books in the library of Christ Church, Oxford, but it seems to have been unknown in 1825 and was not included in the Miscellaneous Writings. William Upcott, the editor, in fact erroneously identified the Panegyric with the anonymous piece in folio: "A Poem upon his Majesties Coronation ... Being S^t Georges day ... London, Printed for Gabriel Bedel and Thomas Collins ... 1661". This mistake was not put right until a copy of the true Panegyric with Evelyn's name on the title-page was acquired for the British Museum in 1927 from the Britwell Court Library. The copy here reproduced is in the writer's collection, and has a few corrections in Evelyn's hand: (a) XXXIII. of April, on title-page corrected to XXIII; (b) p.6. l.18 Family altered to Firmament; (c) p.8. l.16 from bottom suffer altered to surfeit.

When the Panegyric was identified it was realised that it was not a poem, but an eloquent and extravagant composition in prose, in which Evelyn invested Charles II with every conceivable virtue and all wisdom. This was no doubt written with sincere enthusiasm, though Evelyn suffered a profound disillusionment in later years; and if he ever read his effusion again it must have caused him some distress. The Panegyric is now reprinted for the first time.

Geoffrey Keynes

FOOTNOTES:

Part 2

Evelyn's Diary, ed. Wheatley, vol. II, p. 108.

Evelyn's Diary, ed. Wheatley, vol. II, p. 130.

AN A P O L O G Y FOR THE ROYAL PARTY: Written in a L E T T E R To a Person of the Late COUNCEL of STATE.

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By a Lover of Peace and of his Country.

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WITH A T O U C H At the Pretended PLEA FOR THE ARMY.

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Anno Dom. MDCLIX.

AN A P O L O G I E FOR THE R O Y A L P A R T Y: Written in a LETTER to a Person of the late COUNCEL of STATE, By a Lover of Peace and of his Countrey: With a Touch at the pretended Plea for the Army.

SIR,

The many Civilities which you are still pleased to continue to me, and my very great desire to answer them in the worthiest testimonies of my zeal for your service, must make my best Apology for this manner of Addresse; if out of an extream affection for your noblest Interest, I seem transported a little upon your first reflections, and am made to despise the consequence of entertaining you with such Truths, as are of the greatest danger to my self; but of no less import to your happiness, and, which carry with them the most indelible Characters of my Friendship. For if as the Apostle affirms, For a good man, some would even dare to dy, why should my Charity be prejudged, if hoping to convert you from the errour of your way, I despair not of rendring you the Person for whose preservation there will be nothing too dear for me to expose?

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