Lorenzo Magalotti at the Court of Charles II: His Relazione d’Inghilterra of 1668 PDF
Preview Lorenzo Magalotti at the Court of Charles II: His Relazione d’Inghilterra of 1668
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. This page intentionally left blank 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
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