is in Waller's "Poems" a song sung by her to the queen on her
birthday. In her portrait, engraved by Faber, after Kneller, she is
represented in mourning, and in a devout posture before a crucifix.
Evelyn refers to her singing as incomparable, and adds that she had
"the greatest reach of any English woman; she had been lately
roaming in Italy, and was much improv'd in that quality" ("Diary,"
December 2nd, 1674).]
but we come too late; so must try another time. So lost our labour, and I
by coach home, and there to my chamber, and did a great deal of good
business about my Tangier accounts, and so with pleasure discoursing with
my wife of our journey shortly to Brampton, and of this little girle,
which indeed runs in my head, and pleases me mightily, though I dare not
own it, and so to supper and to bed.
28th. Up, having slept not so much to-night as I used to do, for my
thoughts being so full of this pretty little girle that is coming to live
with us, which pleases me mightily. All the morning at the Office, busy
upon an Order of Council, wherein they are mightily at a loss what to
advise about our discharging of seamen by ticket, there being no money to
pay their wages before January, only there is money to pay them since
January, provided by the Parliament, which will be a horrid disgrace to
the King and Crowne of England that no man shall reckon himself safe, but
where the Parliament takes care. And this did move Mr. Wren at the table
to-day to say, that he did believe if ever there be occasion more to raise
money, it will become here, as it is in Poland, that there are two
treasurers--one for the King, and the other for the kingdom. At noon
dined at home, and Mr. Hater with me, and Mr. Pierce, the surgeon, dropped
in, who I feared did come to bespeak me to be godfather to his son, which
I am unwilling now to be, having ended my liking to his wife, since I find
she paints. After dinner comes Sir Fr. Hollis to me about business; and I
with him by coach to the Temple, and there I 'light; all the way he
telling me romantic lies of himself and his family, how they have been
Parliamentmen for Grimsby, he and his forefathers, this 140 years; and his
father is now: and himself, at this day, stands for to be, with his
father, by the death of his fellow-burgess; and that he believes it will
cost him as much as it did his predecessor, which was L300 in ale, and L52
in buttered ale; which I believe is one of his devilish lies. Here I
'light and to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw a piece of "Sir
Martin Marrall," with great delight, though I have seen it so often, and
so home, and there busy late, and so home to my supper and bed.
29th (Lord's day). Up, and put off first my summer's silk suit, and put
on a cloth one. Then to church, and so home to dinner, my wife and I
alone to a good dinner. All the afternoon talking in my chamber with my
wife, about my keeping a coach the next year, and doing some things to my
house, which will cost money--that is, furnish our best chamber with
tapestry, and other rooms with pictures. In the evening read good
books--my wife to me; and I did even my kitchen accounts. Then to supper,
and so to bed.
30th. By water to White Hall, there to a committee of Tangier, but they
not met yet, I went to St. James's, there thinking to have opportunity to
speak to the Duke of York about the petition I have to make to him for
something in reward for my service this war, but I did waive it. Thence
to White Hall, and there a Committee met, where little was done, and
thence to the Duke of York to Council, where we the officers of the Navy
did attend about the business of discharging the seamen by tickets, where
several of the Lords spoke and of our number none but myself, which I did
in such manner as pleased the King and Council. Speaking concerning the
difficulty of pleasing of seamen and giving them assurance to their
satisfaction that they should be paid their arrears of wages, my Lord
Ashly did move that an assignment for money on the Act might be put into
the hands of the East India Company, or City of London, which he thought
the seamen would believe. But this my Lord Anglesey did very handsomely
oppose, and I think did carry it that it will not be: and it is indeed a
mean thing that the King should so far own his own want of credit as to
borrow theirs in this manner. My Lord Anglesey told him that this was the
way indeed to teach the Parliament to trust the King no more for the time
to come, but to have a kingdom's Treasurer distinct from the King's. Home
at noon to dinner, where I expected to have had our new girle, my wife's
woman, but she is not yet come. I abroad after dinner to White Hall, and
there among other things do hear that there will be musique to-morrow
night before the King. So to Westminster, where to the Swan . . . .
and drank and away to the Hall, and thence to Mrs. Martin's, to bespeak
some linen, and there je did avoir all with her, and drank, and away,
having first promised my goddaughter a new coat-her first coat. So by
coach home, and there find our pretty girl Willet come, brought by Mr.
Batelier, and she is very pretty, and so grave as I never saw a little
thing in my life. Indeed I think her a little too good for my family, and
so well carriaged as I hardly ever saw. I wish my wife may use her well.
Now I begin to be full of thought for my journey the next week, if I can
get leave, to Brampton. Tonight come and sat with me Mr. Turner and his
wife and tell me of a design of sending their son Franke to the East Indy
Company's service if they can get him entertainment, which they are
promised by Sir Andr. Rickard, which I do very well like of. So the
company broke up and to bed.
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
Act of Council passed, to put out all Papists in office
And a deal of do of which I am weary
But do it with mighty vanity and talking
Feared she hath from some [one] or other of a present
Fell a-crying for joy, being all maudlin and kissing one another
Found to be with child, do never stir out of their beds
Had his hand cut off, and was hanged presently!
Hates to have any body mention what he had done the day before
House of Lords is the last appeal that a man can make
I find her painted, which makes me loathe her (cosmetics)
King do resolve to declare the Duke of Monmouth legitimate
Lady Castlemayne is compounding with the King for a pension
My intention to learn to trill
Never, while he lives, truckle under any body or any faction
Pressing in it as if none of us had like care with him
Singing with many voices is not singing
Their condition was a little below my present state
Weary of it; but it will please the citizens
Weigh him after he had done playing