Here he enrolled himself and served for a few days as a volunteer in the Queen's army 'according to the compliment,' being attached to the English company of Captain Apsley: and in this capacity he 'received many civilities.' Even when thus playing at soldering, he did not like the roughness of a soldier's life, 'for the sun piercing the canvass of the tent, it was, during the day, unsufferable, and at night not seldom infested with mists and fogs, which ascended from the river.' However, during the few days he took his fair share in the work.

'As the turn came about, I watched on a horne work neere our quarters, and trailed a pike, being the next morning relieved by a company of French.

This was our continual duty till the Castle was re-fortified, and all danger of quitting that station secured.' Retracing his steps to Rotterdam, Delft, the Hague and Leyden, he also visited Haerlem, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels and various other towns before returning by way of Ostend, Dunkirk and Dover to Wotton, where he celebrated his 21st birthday.
Although his _Diary_ does not contain any details on such matters as Pepys would have been free to record in his cipher, John Evelyn was probably rather a gay and pleasure-loving youth about this time.

A suspicion of this seems justified by the fact that he 'was elected one of the Comptrolers of the Middle Temple-revellers, as the fashion of ye young Students and Gentlemen was, the Christmas being kept this year (1641) with great solemnity; but being desirous to passe it in the Country, I got leave to resign my staffe of office, and went with my brother Richard to Wotton.' From January till March he was back in London 'studying a little, but dancing and fooling more.' III _Evelyn's Early Manhood, Continental Travels and Studies, Voluntary Exile, and Return to England 1647._ It was hardly possible that anyone situated as Evelyn was could hold aloof from the party strife when civil war broke out during the course of this year.

And, of course, he was on the Royalist side.