Add MS 78221

EVELYN PAPERS. Vol. LIV (ff. 165). Letters to Browne from John and Mary Evelyn and their children, etc.; 1647-1682. Partly copies. Partly cipher. Partly Latin, Greek and French.

1. ff. 1-133. Ninety-two letters from John Evelyn to his father-in-law; 20 Oct. 1647-5 July 1649; [5 Feb.] 1652-23 Jan. 1654, 29 Jan. 1656-17 May 1660, 17 Sept. 1665-25 Jan., 1666, 22 Feb. 1679, [?18] June 1679, 6 Apr. 1682. Some of the letters are signed ‘Άπλάνώς’ (13 Jan. 1648-4 June 1649 passim), ‘T N’ (4 Sept. 1657) and ‘N. R.’ (10/20 Nov. 1659). Two letters of 29 Jan. 1649, announcing the death of the King, have similarities of content and are both originals, but the second, signed only with a pentacle, may not be to Browne. Letters written by Evelyn before the Restoration are directed to Mr [William] Peeters, a merchant of London (4 April-4 Sept. 1648), to Robert Kibble, al. Kible, ‘demeurant auec Monsr [Laurence] Greene Marchand Anglois à l’Hostel de [la Ville de] Venize’ (12 Mar.-5 July 1649), to Mr Smith, al. Smyth (‘chez Mr Poignant’, 5 June 1652; no place, 18, 26 Nov., 13 Dec. 1657; and via M. Oudinet, 15 Feb. 1658-17 May 1660 passim). Red wax seals of seven distinct types, geometrical, armorial and [figural], survive on letters written between 1648 and 1665. An unsigned letter of 7 Jan. 1649/50, requesting that replies be addressed to Captain Thomas Danser, appears to be in the hand of Richard Evelyn, brother of John. Also included are retained copies of Browne’s letters of 31 Aug. 1652 (original below, Add. MS 78306) and 15 April 1660. Further correspondence of Evelyn and Browne, 1647-1673, is now preserved in Add. MSS 15857, ff. 108-150 passim, 15948, ff. 5-37, 57, 64, 34702, ff. 23-222 passim, and 78306.

2. ff. 134-149. Ten letters from Mary Evelyn, daughter of Browne and wife (1647) of Evelyn; 12 June 1652-6 Dec. 1655. Partly French. Red wax seals of three types. For Browne’s letters to his daughter, see Add. MS 78431 below.

3. ff. 150-161. Seven letters from John Evelyn junior; 14 Dec. 1665-21 Dec. 1675, n.d. Partly Latin and Greek. Also included are two sets of New Year verses in English and in Latin hexameters addressed to his grandfather, 1674 and n.d., and an enclosed letter, in French. Other letters, 1673 and 1676, are in Stowe MS 745, f. 76 (Latin) and Add. MS 15948, f. 149. Red wax armorial seal on letter of 1 Mar. 1667. For letters from his grandfather, see Add. MS 78442.

4. f. 162. Letter from Mary Evelyn, granddaughter of Browne; 3 June 1682.

5. ff. 163-165. Two letters of George Evelyn, elder brother of John Evelyn; circa Oct. and 14 Dec. 1665.