Evelyn John

Evelyn John, was born October 31, 1620, at his father's seat of Wotton, in Surrey. He was educated at Baliol College, Oxford, served a short time as a volunteer in the Low Countries, and returned at the breaking out of the Civil War to rejoin the king's forces; but, on the king's defeat at Gloucester, he left England, and during the rest of the troubles he traveled in France and Italy. In 1652 he returned to England, and on the restoration he took an honorable part in public business. He died February 27, 1706. He was one of the original members of the Royal Society, and a frequent contributor to its transactions. His most valuable work was Sylva, or a Discourse on Forest Trees. His Diary (not published till 1818) is exceedingly useful for the knowledge it conveys of the times in which Evelyn lived. The Diary and Correspondence has lately been re-edited, with much new matter (Lond. 1850-52, 4 volumes, 8vo). His History of Religion, a rational. Account of the true Religion, was also first published from the MS. in 1850 by the Rev. N. M. Evanson (London, 2 volumes, 8vo); and in 1848 his Life of Mrs. Godolphin (from MSS.) was published by bishop Wilberforce. — Allibone, Dict. of Authors, s.v.