It was a comely and manly habit, too good to hold, it being impossible for us in good earnest to leave ye Monsieurs vanities long.' At length employment, at first unpaid, in the public service fell to Evelyn in May, 1662, when along with 'divers gentlemen of quality,' he was appointed one of the Commissioners 'for reforming the buildings, wayes, streetes, and incumbrances, and regulating the hackney coaches in the Citty of London.' About this same time he was also on the Commission appointed 'about Charitable uses, and particularly to enquire how the Citty had dispos'd of the revenues of Gressham College,' and in the original grant of the Charter of the Royal Society he was nominated by the King to be on its Council.

Among the other Commissions upon which he shortly sat were those on Sewers, and on the regulation of the Mint at the Tower; but it was not till 27 Oct.

1664 that he received a paid appointment as one of the four Commissioners for the care of the sick and wounded prisoners to be made in the war declared against Holland.
For this the remuneration was 'a Salary L1,200 a year amongst us, besides extraordinaries for our care and attention in time of station, each of us being appointed to a particular district, mine falling out to be Kent and Sussex.' Before this, however, an event had occurred which must have given intense gratification to Evelyn, when on 30th April, 1663, 'Came his Majesty to honour my poore villa with his presence, viewing the gardens and even every roome of the house, and was pleas'd to take a small refreshment.

There were with him the Duke of Richmond, E.of St.Albans, Lord Lauderdale, and several persons of Quality.' The year 1664 was a busy one for Evelyn, as he then brought out his two great masterpieces _Sylva_ and the _Kalendarium Hortense_, of which more anon, as well as the translation of a French work on Architecture.

His official duties in connection with the maintainance of the Dutch prisoners also became so heavy that the charges came to L1,000 a week.
The Savoy Hospital was filled with them, and a privy seal grant of L20,000 was made to carry on the work; but the expenses increasing reached L7,000 a week, and Evelyn had hard work to get money from the treasury.