▁and ▁Hel vet ius ▁acknow ledge ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁his ▁writ ings ; ▁and ▁Sir ▁William ▁Jones ▁says ▁he ▁gave ▁the ▁best ▁account ▁of ▁Mah omet an ▁nations ▁ever ▁published . ▁ ▁Ext ract s ▁from ▁his ▁works ▁appear ▁in ▁all ▁the ▁chief ▁collections ▁of ▁travel s , ▁but ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁complete ▁English ▁translation . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 8 1 , ▁Ch ardin ▁determined ▁to ▁sett le ▁in ▁England ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁Protest ants ▁in ▁France . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁well ▁received ▁at ▁court , ▁and ▁was ▁soon ▁after ▁appointed ▁court ▁j ew eller . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁kn ight ed ▁by ▁Charles ▁II ▁at ▁White hall , ▁ 1 7 ▁November ▁ 1 6 8 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁same ▁day ▁he ▁married ▁a ▁Protest ant ▁lady , ▁Est her , ▁daughter ▁of ▁M . ▁de ▁L ard ini ère ▁Pe ign é , ▁coun c ill or ▁in ▁the ▁Parliament ▁of ▁Rou en , ▁then ▁a ▁refuge e ▁in ▁London . ▁ ▁He ▁carried ▁on ▁a ▁considerable ▁trade ▁in ▁j ew els , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁correspond ence ▁of ▁his ▁time ▁was ▁called ▁' the ▁flower ▁of ▁mer ch ants .' ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 8 2 , ▁when ▁he ▁lived ▁in ▁Holland ▁House , ▁K ens ington , ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁a ▁fellow ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 8 4 , ▁the ▁king ▁sent ▁him ▁as ▁en voy ▁to ▁Holland , ▁where ▁he ▁stayed ▁some ▁years ,