Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 2.djvu/278

 — from the latter city his departure was hurried by a quarrel between the Grand Vizier and the French Ambassador, which gave rise to a report that as a Frenchman Chardin would be arrested, and that “his goods, which were very rich and very considerable in quantity, would be seized.” Judging from the abstracts of Chardin’s Travels, which I have read (in Harris’s “Collection of Voyages,” vol. ii., and De la Roche’s “Memoirs of Literature,” vol. iii.), I would say that he does not, except as to his voyage from Paris to Ispahan, give us materials for following his steps day after day, but he presents us with digested information, as to people, places, and phenomena, as the results of the enquiries and observations of many years.

In 1680 his pilgrimages ended. Haag says that he arrived in London on 14th August 1681, that ten days after he received the honour of knighthood from King Charles II., and that on the same day he married a lady from Rouen. From Colonel Chester’s MSS. I have learned that her Christian name was Esther, and in Dumont de Bostaquet’s Narrative we are informed that her father was Monsieur de Lardinière Peigné, counsellor in the Parliament of Rouen. But Haag’s date must refer to Chardin’s final settlement in England, for he came to this country a year before, as we learn from Evelyn’s Diary, which contains this entry:—

“1680. 30th August. I went to visit a French gentleman, one Monsieur Chardin, who having been thrice in Persia, the East Indies, and other remote countries, came hither in our return ships from those parts; and it being reported that he was a very curious and knowing man, I was desired by the Royal Society to salute him in their name, and to invite him to honour them with his company. Sir Joseph Hoskins and Sir Christopher Wren accompanied me. We found him at his lodgings in his Eastern habit, a very handsome person, extremely affable, a modest well-bred man, not inclined to talk wonders. He spake Latin, and understood Greek, Arabic, and Persian, from eleven years’ travels in those parts, whither he went in search of jewels, and was become very rich. He seemed about thirty-six years of age. After the usual civilities, we asked some account of the extraordinary things he must have seen in travelling over land to these places where few (if any) northern Europeans used to go, as the Black and Caspian Sea, Mingrelia, Bagdat, Nineveh, Persepolis, &c. He told us that the things most worthy of our sight would be the draughts he had caused to be made of some noble ruins, &c.; for that, besides his own little talent that way, he had carried two good painters with him, to draw landscapes, measure and design the remains of the palace which Alexander burnt in his frolic at Persepolis, with divers temples, columns, relievos and statues yet extant, which he affirmed to be sculpture far exceeding anything he had observed either at Rome, in Greece, or in any other part of the world where magnificence was in estimation. He said there was an inscription in letters not intelligible though entire. He was sorry he could not gratify the curiosity of the Society at present, his things not being yet out of the ship, but would wait on them with them on his return from Paris, whither he was going the next day, but with intention to return suddenly and stay longer here, the persecution in France not suffering Protestants (and he was one) to be quiet.”

On 28th March 1681 Henry Savile gave him a letter of introduction to his brother, the Earl of Halifax. Perhaps, rather, he sent the letter, for Mr. Chardin seems to have been in London sooner. Le Neve says, “Sir John Chardin, a Frenchman, merchant and jeweller, was knighted at Whitehall, 17th March 1681.” He presented his letters to Lord Halifax, who wrote to his brother from London, October 24th — November 3d, 1681, “I had this morning two of yours brought to me by Sir John Chardin; one of them of so long a date, viz., March 28th, that I think it will not be necessary to make any answer to it. . . . I think such men as Sir John Chardin should be encouraged, and I shall be ready to do my part.” He was naturalized at Westminster, 8th March 1682; the grant is to Joh$i$ Chardin, mil:, (i.e., John Chardin, knight); Esther Chardin was naturalized on the 16th June 1682. In this year he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. Our king (says the English Cyclopedia) employed him diplomatically on an important mission to Holland; and in 1683 he was at the Hague and Amsterdam as agent for the English East India Company. But the statement, which I have seen somewhere, that he resided thirty years in Holland as Ambassador and East India Agent, is a mistake. His home was in England, and his chief occupation was preparing his volumes of Travels for 'the press. On the death of Charles II., and the accession of a new sovereign, he seems to have thought it advisable to have a new grant of naturalization; at any rate he, with many others, was naturalized by Act of Parliament, 2d July, 1 Ja. II.

In Evelyn’s Diary we frequently meet him. In 1683, 18th October, he is conducted through the apartments of Montague House, along with Evelyn and Lady Scroope; and on 27th December (says Evelyn) “I went to visit Sir John Chardin, who had made many curious researches in his travels, of which he is now setting forth a relation.” 1684, 23rd Feb. — I went to visit Sir John Chardin,