The Diary of John Evelyn

by John Evelyn

Physical description; lxx, 1013 p. ; 21 cm. Subject; Evelyn, John 1620-1706. Diarists — England — Biography. Great Britain — History — Stuarts, 1603-1714.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Diary, British Literature, Memoir, Classics

1013 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1818

About the author

John Evelyn was an English writer, gardener and diarist.

Evelyn's diaries or Memoirs are largely contemporaneous with those of the other noted diarist of the time, Samuel Pepys, and cast considerable light on the art, culture and politics of the time (he witnessed the deaths of Charles I and Oliver Cromwell, the last Great Plague of London, and the Great Fire of London in 1666). Over the years, Evelyn’s Diary has been over-shadowed by Pepys's chronicles of 17th-century life. Evelyn and Pepys corresponded frequently and much of this correspondence has been preserved.

Reviews

[Shauna · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Evelyn lived through some turbulent times in England's history- the Cromwell parliament, the restoration of the monarchy, the Great Fire of London to name but a few. He frequently mixed with royalty and had many famous friends, including Sir Christopher Wren and Samuel Pepys. His diaries are not full of scandal and gossip (unlike Pepys) but they do give an honest account of the upper echelon of society during the seventeenth century and what it was like to be a rich and pious Protestant at that time.
The first part of the diary contains a full and frankly tedious account of Evelyn's tour of Europe. There is so much emphasis upon which palace/chateau/stately home he visited and lists of curiousities and collections viewed in them . I found it best to skim over these pages. He does come across as a good, kind and very intellectual man and I felt that I had lost a good friend when his diary finished in 1706 due to his poor health and subsequent death at the age of 85

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

He doesn't have the verve and indiscretion of Pepys but in Evelyn is probably a better representative of the country gentleman living away from court. Although often quotidian and rather dry in his entries, he reveals a dear love towards his children and his friends. He lived to an old age and so, unlike Pepys' journal, we see the changing landscape of England over a lifetime and not simply a decade.

[Andrea Zuvich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than Pepys, in my opinion, as Evelyn covers more years (and therefore, more events). No, he's not as naughty as old Sam, but I still prefer this diary.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entries prior to 1683 were compiled by Evelyn from notes, and thus tend towards being brief, and not particularly vivid. After 1683, though, quite a bit of fun to read. I enjoyed this diary as much as I did Pepys'.

[Jonathan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blehhhhh. Go away Evelyn.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the three years I spent with John Evelyn and his lengthy diary. But poor John Evelyn — polymath, public citizen (and official), friend to kings and scientists, but destined always to be second fiddle to his friend Samuel Pepys in the 17th century diarist derby. Pepys is the one who is (sometimes) still read, and still frequently cited whenever the English Restoration era is mentioned. Where Evelyn was a pious man and a devoted Royalist, Pepys was scurrilous and a political skeptic, making his commentary more consistently pointed. Both let you enter the everyday life of someone in a very different world than ours, but Pepys paints a much more detailed picture, which makes sense given that his diary covers just one decade to Evelyn’s seven. Pepys’ frankness is sometimes mind boggling; Evelyn wasn’t one for plumbing the depths. So even among those who spend time with this kind of literature, Evelyn is mostly just an occasional footnote to some event he may have referenced. I quite like him nonetheless.

Evelyn does seem to have cared more deeply for more people than Pepys, and that makes a difference in the story telling. All but one of his eight children predeceased him, most in infancy and childhood. And since Evelyn lived to be 85, he recorded the demise of many others close to him. (At no point does it appear that his piety failed him, at least that he documented.) The emotional impact of these accounts more than make up for the diary’s less dramatically interesting elements, such as his dutiful reporting of decades worth of weekly sermons. Pepys, too, reported on sermons, though not so exhaustively as Evelyn, and more as if he were reviewing a play than engaging theologically.

Pepys quite clearly wrote his diary for himself and spared no one, himself included, from embarrassing details. Evelyn, who authored a number of other books, seems to have intended that his diary be read, and probably published. Presumably he would have wanted to spare his own legacy from embarrassment, and also to communicate the right lessons to posterity. Late in life he seems increasingly remorseful about unspecified past sins, but it’s not clear whether he had truly done bad things, as Pepys definitely did (at least with regard to women), or whether he was simply going through the motions of repentance that he felt were required of a good Christian preparing for death.

Because Evelyn kept adding entries to that very month, the diary is a fascinating case study in aging. We’re there when he starts to frequently doze off at church. We hear more and more about the weather. And of course his ailments gain increasing prominence until he fell silent just three weeks before the end.

Finally, in both cases it’s fascinating to see the way educated men wrote before English spelling was standardized. Among the most striking features of their diaries is the lack of consistency from entry to entry in both names and common words. Reading either diary in full takes a certain kind of commitment, but if you like losing yourself in obscure detail they are highly recommended. For full effect, be sure to get an edition where the language hasn’t been modernized.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone really interested in the late 17th cent. His description of the fire of London is very detailed. I am intrigued that he manages to spend the Civil War travelling the continent - also that he marries his wife in Paris & then they don’t see each other for the next 2 years! And there are a lot of names I recognise from the period, for a start Pepys is a good friend of his.......!

[Tony · Rating 1 out of 5]

Considering a contemporary of Samuel Pepys and living through the tumultous period of 17C England and regicide, the entries are banal and self-centred mostly about his enjoyment of his afluent status without responsibilites and little about what was happening outside his immediate circle of family and gentry. After a while a bit boring.

[Literary Ames]

Volume 1: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41218
Volume 2: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42081

[Suzanne McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to Guy de la Bedoyere, who has done a tremendous service by making this extensive selection from Evelyn's diary readily available.

[Madeleine McLaughlin]

Excellent History

Much easier to read than Samuel Pepys, this book is a great store of history and the manners and notes of this time.

[Mônica Carla de Araujo · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I was most surprised by John’s personality while reading the diary. Taking into consideration the context of the time, he comes across as a decent and kind guy. Although the dull passages of the early years were definitely a turn off for me, this is no doubt a must-read for all those interested in England’s 17th century history

[Jane Routley · Rating 2 out of 5]

He's not as much fun as Pepys, but I really enjoyed his account of Peter the Great. Not a good house guest the Russian Tsar.

[imngrer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite Pepys but still worthwhile

[Allison6876 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for paper for HIST 3704W

[Bud]

Dude did not like papists.