eing appointed to a particular district, mine falling out to
be Kent and Sussex.'

Before this, however, an event had occurred which must have given
intense gratification to Evelyn, when on 30th April, 1663, 'Came his
Majesty to honour my poore villa with his presence, viewing the gardens
and even every roome of the house, and was pleas'd to take a small
refreshment. There were with him the Duke of Richmond, E. of St. Albans,
Lord Lauderdale, and several persons of Quality.'

The year 1664 was a busy one for Evelyn, as he then brought out his two
great masterpieces _Sylva_ and the _Kalendarium Hortense_, of which more
anon, as well as the translation of a French work on Architecture. His
official duties in connection with the maintainance of the Dutch
prisoners also became so heavy that the charges came to L1,000 a week.
The Savoy Hospital was filled with them, and a privy seal grant of
L20,000 was made to carry on the work; but the expenses increasing
reached L7,000 a week, and Evelyn had hard work to get money from the
treasury. Harassed with anxieties of this sort, he frequently went 'to
ye Royal Society to refreshe among ye philosophers' where he found
solace in serving along with Dryden, Waller, and others on a Committee
for the improvement of the English language.

In the following year the dreadful plague broke out, when he and one
other Commissioner were left to deal with the task of providing for the
sick and wounded prisoners. From 1,000 deaths in a week in the middle of
July, the mortality increased to near 10,000 by the beginning of
September, so he sent his wife and family to his brother at Wotton, and
remained at work, 'being resolved to stay at my house myselfe; and to
looke after my charge, trusting in the providence and goodnesse of God.'
Prisoners poured in in larger numbers than he could receive and guard in
fit places, and he was continually forced to importune for money lest
the prisoners should starve. It was then, perhaps, that Evelyn was
thrown most in contact with his intimate friend Pepys, for both of them
remained steadfast when others had fled. And they had their reward in
coming safely through their trial of faithfulness to official duty. 'Now
blessed be God,' he writes on 31 Dec. 1665, 'for his extraordinary
mercies and preservation of me this yeare, when thousands and ten
thousands perish'd and were swept away on each side of me.'

This hard work was a source of loss to Evelyn, as from