Diary and correspondence of John Evelyn, F.R.S… To which is subjoined the private correspondence between King Charles I and Sir Edward Nicholas, and between Sir Edward Hyde, afterward Earl of Clarendon and Sir Richard Browne.

London: Henry Colburn & Co, 1857. Hardcover. See Description. Second Forester edition, revised. 8vo. 4 volumes. Volume I, pp. xl, 429, [1]. With frontispiece of John Evelyn; a second plate depicts the Evelyn family estate at Wotton in Surrey. Volume II, pp. [4], 396. With frontispiece of Mary, John Evelyn’s wife; and (in the back) a fold out pedigree chart of the Evelyn lineage. Volume III, pp. xii, 399, [1]. Volume IV, pp. iv, 448. Bound in later half red calf with gilt spines, marbled boards and sewn-in red ribbon bookmarkers. Top edge is gilt. Binding is in superb condition with only slight signs of wear. The interior contains a few miniscule marginal tears; a possible 16 mm tear (very neatly sealed) is present on the outer edge of the title page to volume I; a faint stress mark or crease is present to the frontis (volume I). Interior pages are otherwise clean. Some leaves in volume IV are unopened. John Evelyn (1620-1706) was an English author and diarist. Evelyn’s diary (which covers the years 1641-1705/06) is considered a valuable primary resource for the period of the English Civil War through the Restoration. In 1818 William Bray published Evelyn’s diary for the first time accompanied by a selection of his letters. An edition edited by John Forester with additions and modernized spelling appeared in 1850-52. The second Forester edition (1857) contained further revisions. The preface states: "The text as now presented, is throughout in a more perfect state." [Lowndes, p. 767].