ainst the Halt Court, but four
payre of stayres high, which gave us the advantage of fairer prospect,
but did not much contribute to the love of that unpolish'd study, to
which (I suppose,) my Father had design'd me!' While thus a law student,
on 30th October, he saw 'his Majestie (coming from his Northern
Expedition) ride in pomp, and a kind of ovation, with all the markes of
a happy peace, restor'd to the affections of his people, being
conducted through London with a most splendid cavalcade; and on 3rd
November, following (a day never to be mentioned without a curse) to
that long, ungratefull, foolish, and fatall Parliament, the beginning of
all our sorrows for twenty years after, and the period of the most happy
Monarch in the world: _Quis talia fando!_'

In the closing days of 1640 Evelyn lost his father, when he abandoned
the study of the law and betook himself abroad in preference to being
mixed up in the disorders of the time. His resolutions were 'to absent
myselfe from this ill face of things at home, which gave umbrage to
wiser than myselfe, that the medaill was reversing, and our calamities
but yet in their infancy.' Shortly before that he had 'beheld on Tower
Hill the fatal stroake which sever'd the wisest head in England from the
shoulders of the Earl of Strafford.'

Landing at Flushing in July, 1641, Evelyn passed, accompanied by his
tutor Mr. Caryll, through Midelbrogh, Der Veer, Dort, Rotterdam, and
Delft, to the Hague, where he presented himself to the Queen of
Bohemia's Court. Thence he went on to Leyden, Utrecht, Rynen, and
Nimeguen, to where the Dutch army was encamped about Genep, a strong
fortress on the Wahale river. Here he enrolled himself and served for a
few days as a volunteer in the Queen's army 'according to the
compliment,' being attached to the English company of Captain Apsley:
and in this capacity he 'received many civilities.' Even when thus
playing at soldering, he did not like the roughness of a soldier's life,
'for the sun piercing the canvass of the tent, it was, during the day,
unsufferable, and at night not seldom infested with mists and fogs,
which ascended from the river.' However, during the few days he took his
fair share in the work. 'As the turn came about, I watched on a horne
work neere our quarters, and trailed a pike, being the next morning
relieved by a company of French. This was our continual duty till the
Castle was re-fortified, and all danger of quitting that st