This set me upon planting of trees, and brought forth my "Sylva," which booke, infinitely beyond my expectation, is now also calling for a fourth impression, and has been the occasion of propagating many millions of usefull timber trees thro'out this nation, as I may justifie (without im'odesty) from ye many letters of acknowledgement receiv'd from gentlemen of the first quality, and others altogether strangers to me.

His late Majesty Charles the 2nd.

was sometimes graciously pleas'd to take notice of it to me, and that I had by that booke alone incited a world of planters to repaire their broken estates and woodes, which the greedy rebells had wasted and made much havock of.

Upon this encouragement I was once speaking to a mighty man, then in despotic power, to mention the greate inclination I had to serve his Majesty in a little office then newly vacant (the salary I think hardly L300) whose province was to inspect the timber trees in his Majesties Forests, etc., and take care of their culture and improvement; but this was conferr'd upon another who, I believe, had seldom been out of the smoake of London, where though there was a greate deale of timber, there were not many trees.

I confesse I had an inclination to the imployment upon a publique account as well as its being suitable to my rural genius, borne as I was at Wotton, among the woods.' A still greater success was achieved by the _Kalendarium Hortense_, which reached its tenth edition (1706) during Evelyn's lifetime, and of which two reprints have subsequently been made.