Lorenzo Magalotti at the Court of Charles II: His Relazione d’Inghilterra of 1668

174 Pages·1980·8.996 MB·English

by  W.E.K. Middleton

Lorenzo Magalotti
at the Court
of Charles II
His Relazione d'lnghilterra of 1668
W. E. Knowles Middleton, editor and translator
In the late 1660s the English court received a visitor
from Florence—Lorenzo Magalotti, an intelligent, sensi-
tive writer and diplomat with a passion for observa-
tion and description. Magalotti had come from a state
governed by an absolute grand duke to a kingdom en-
gaged in a fierce struggle for political liberty, and from a
society in which the sexual behaviour of women was
closely controlled by law and custom, to one of unexam-
pled licentiousness among the upper classes. This cul-
tural shock produced fascinating portraits by Magalotti
of Charles II and his court, accounts of their amorous
intrigues, and percipient if sometimes biased observa-
tions on politics. There is also a substantially accurate
account of the armed forces of the kingdom, and a good
deal about its intellectual and artistic life.
W. E. Knowles Middleton has provided a clear and
elegant translation of this document, along with an
informative introduction and supplementary notes.
W'. E. Knowles Middleton was associated with the National Research
Council from 1946 until 1963. He is the author o/The History of
the Barometer, The Experimenters: A Study of the Accademia
del Cimento, and Physics at the National Research Council of
Canada, 1929-1952 (WLU Press, 1979). He has received honor-
ary degrees from Boston University and McGill University.
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Lorenzo Magalotti
at the Court
of Charles II
His Relazione d'Inghilterra of 1668
This page intentionally left blank
Lorenzo Magalotti
at the Court
of Charles II
His Relazione d'Inghilterra of 1668
W. E. Knowles Middleton, editor & translator
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Magalotti, Lorenzo, conte, 1637-1712.
Lorenzo Magalotti at the court of Charles II
Translation of Relazione d'Inghilterra.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-88920-095-5 bd.
I. Great Britain — Politics and government — 1660-
1688. 2. England — Description and travel — 1601-
1700. 3. Great Britain — Court and courtiers — 17th
century. I. Middleton, William E. Knowles, 1902-
II. Title.
DA448.M3413 941.06'6 C80-094734-7
Copyright © 1980
WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY PRESS
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3C5
80 81 82 83 4 3 2 1
No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system, translated or reproduced in any
form, by print. photoprint, microfilm, microfiche, or any other means, without written
permission from the publisher.
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii
ABBREVIATIONS FOR ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES,
AND WORKS OF REFERENCE ix
INTRODUCTION 1
THE TEXT 16
An Account of England in the Year 1667 — 68 16
Intrigues at the Court of England 70
The Bodyguard of the King, the Duke,
and the General 83
Standing Regiments 89
The Naval Forces 93
Status of the English Court 107
On the Nobility of England in General 111
The Lower House, or House of Commons 121
The City of London 123
The Realms of Ireland and Scotland 130
Possessions of the English Crown Inside
and Outside Europe 133
Celebrated Men of Letters in England 134
The More Distinguished People at the
University of Cambridge 141
Professors at the University of Oxford 142
English Poets 143
Index of Some Exceptional Books by
English Authors 145
v
The More Famous Artists of London 150
Beautiful Ladies of London 154
INDEX OF PERSONS 156
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research necessary for the writing of this introduction and the
notes was supported by a grant from the Canada Council, which is
gratefully acknowledged.
This book has been published with the help of a grant from
the Canadian Federation for the Humanities, using funds provided
by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of
Canada.
Professor Anna Maria Crino very kindly volunteered to read
my translation and made a number of suggestions, some of which
saved me from misinterpretations.
I also have to thank Professors Harriet Kirkley and Murray
Tolmie of the University of British Columbia for reading the
typescript and suggesting amendments, especially to the notes.
Finally I must acknowledge the never-failing co-operation of
my wife, who typed the entire manuscript twice and provided the
sort of detailed criticism and general encouragement that I have
expected and received for many years.
VII