Evelyn also wrote on the title-page of this copy of his pamphlet “three tymes printed”.  In fact there were four printings, all described in the writer’s John Evelyn, a Study in Bibliophily & a Bibliography of his Writings, New York, The Grolier Club, 1937, the one here reproduced being the fourth and final form.  Nevertheless all four issues are now extremely scarce, the first printing being known in three copies (one in the United States), the second in seven (two in the United States), the third in one, and the fourth in one.  This apparently unique relic of Evelyn’s bold gesture on behalf of his King is in the writer’s possession and is still as issued, edges untrimmed and with its eight leaves stitched in a contemporary paper wrapper.  It has been reprinted only in Evelyn’s Miscellaneous Writings, 1825, pp. 169-192.

* * * * *

When Charles II actually returned to England in 1660 Evelyn’s feelings were deeply stirred.  He had played some part in the restoration of the monarchy, and, with his literary instinct, naturally felt impelled to be among those who wished to present the King with an address on the day of his Coronation.  This took place on April 23, 1661, and on the following day Evelyn recorded in his Diary:  “I presented his Ma^tie with his Panegyric in the Private Chamber, which he was pleas’d to accept most graciously:  I gave copies to the Lord Chancellor and most of the noblemen who came to me for it."[2] Evelyn’s Panegyric was thus distributed privately and no doubt in small number, so that it is today extremely uncommon, being known only in five copies, not more than one of which is in the United States of America.  Evelyn possessed a copy in 1687 according to his library catalogue compiled in that year, and a copy (not necessarily the same one) is now among his books in the library of Christ Church, Oxford, but it seems to have been unknown in 1825 and was not included in the Miscellaneous Writings.  William Upcott, the editor, in fact erroneously identified the Panegyric with the anonymous piece in folio:  “A Poem upon his Majesties Coronation ...  Being S^t Georges day ...  London, Printed for Gabriel Bedel and Thomas Collins ... 1661”.  This mistake was not put right until a copy of the true Panegyric with Evelyn’s name on the title-page was acquired for the British Museum in 1927 from the Britwell Court Library.  The copy here reproduced is in the writer’s collection, and has a few corrections in Evelyn’s hand:  (a) XXXIII. of April, on title-page corrected to XXIII; (b) p.6. l.18 Family altered to Firmament; (c) p.8. l.16 from bottom suffer altered to surfeit.

When the Panegyric was identified it was realised that it was not a poem, but an eloquent and extravagant composition in prose, in which Evelyn invested Charles II with every conceivable virtue and all wisdom.  This was no doubt written with sincere enthusiasm, though Evelyn suffered a profound disillusionment in later years; and if he ever read his effusion again it must have caused him some distress.  The Panegyric is now reprinted for the first time.