then the rest of the lords, one after another, other ladies very noble it
was, and great pleasure to see. Then to country dances; the King leading
the first, which he called for; which was, says he, "Cuckolds all awry,"
the old dance of England. Of the ladies that danced, the Duke of
Monmouth's mistress, and my Lady Castlemaine, and a daughter of Sir Harry
de Vicke's, were the best. The manner was, when the King dances, all the
ladies in the room, and the Queen herself, stand up: and indeed he dances
rarely, and much better that the Duke of York. Having staid here as long
as I thought fit, to my infinite content, it being the greatest pleasure I
could wish now to see at Court, I went out, leaving them dancing, and to
Mrs. Pierces, where I found the company had staid very long for my coming,
but all gone but my wife, and so I took her home by coach and so to my
Lord's again, where after some supper to bed, very weary and in a little
pain from my riding a little uneasily to-night in the coach.
Thus ends this year with great mirth to me and my wife: Our condition
being thus:--we are at present spending a night or two at my Lord's
lodgings at White Hall. Our home at the Navy-office, which is and hath a
pretty while been in good condition, finished and made very convenient. My
purse is worth about L650, besides my goods of all sorts, which yet might
have been more but for my late layings out upon my house and public
assessment, and yet would not have been so much if I had not lived a very
orderly life all this year by virtue of the oaths that God put into my
heart to take against wine, plays, and other expenses, and to observe for
these last twelve months, and which I am now going to renew, I under God
owing my present content thereunto. My family is myself and wife,
William, my clerk; Jane, my wife's upper mayde, but, I think, growing
proud and negligent upon it: we must part, which troubles me; Susan, our
cook-mayde, a pretty willing wench, but no good cook; and Wayneman, my
boy, who I am now turning away for his naughty tricks. We have had from
the beginning our healths to this day very well, blessed be God! Our late
mayde Sarah going from us (though put away by us) to live with Sir W. Pen
do trouble me, though I love the wench, so that we do make ourselves a
little strange to him and his family for it, and resolve to do so. The
same we are for other reasons to my Lady Batten and hers. We have lately
had it in our thoughts, and I can hardly bring myself off of it, since
Mrs. Gosnell cannot be with us, to find out another to be in the quality
of a woman to my wife that can sing or dance, and yet finding it hard to
save anything at the year's end as I now live, I think I shall not be such
a fool till I am more warm in my purse, besides my oath of entering into
no such expenses till I am worth L1000. By my last year's diligence in my
office, blessed be God! I am come to a good degree of knowledge therein;
and am acknowledged so by all--the world, even the Duke himself, to whom I
have a good access and by that, and my being Commissioner with him for
Tangier, he takes much notice of me; and I doubt not but, by the
continuance of the same endeavours, I shall in a little time come to be a
man much taken notice of in the world, specially being come to so great an
esteem with Mr. Coventry. The only weight that lies heavy upon my mind is
the ending the business with my uncle Thomas about my-dead uncle's estate,
which is very ill on our side, and I fear when all is done I must be
forced to maintain my father myself, or spare a good deal towards it out
of my own purse, which will be a very great pull back to me in my fortune.
But I must be contented and bring it to an issue one way or other.
Publique matters stand thus: The King is bringing, as is said, his family,
and Navy, and all other his charges, to a less expence. In the mean time,
himself following his pleasures more than with good advice he would do; at
least, to be seen to all the world to do so. His dalliance with my Lady
Castlemaine being publique, every day, to his great reproach; and his
favouring of none at Court so much as those that are the confidants of his
pleasure, as Sir H. Bennet and Sir Charles Barkeley; which, good God! put
it into his heart to mend, before he makes himself too much contemned by
his people for it! The Duke of Monmouth is in so great splendour at
Court, and so dandled by the King, that some doubt, if the King should
have no child by the Queen (which there is yet no appearance of), whether
he would not be acknowledged for a lawful son; and that there will be a
difference follow upon it between the Duke of York and him; which God
prevent! My Lord Chancellor is threatened by people to be questioned, the
next sitting of the Parliament, by some spirits that do not love to see
him so great: but certainly he is a good servant to the King. The
Queen-Mother is said to keep too great a Court now; and her being married
to my Lord St. Albans is commonly talked of; and that they had a daughter
between them in France, how true, God knows. The Bishopps are high, and
go on without any diffidence in pressing uniformity; and the Presbyters
seem silent in it, and either conform or lay down, though without doubt
they expect a turn, and would be glad these endeavours of the other
Fanatiques would take effect; there having been a plot lately found, for
which four have been publickly tried at the Old Bayley and hanged. My
Lord Sandwich is still in good esteem, and now keeping his Christmas in
the country; and I in good esteem, I think, as any man can be, with him.
Mr. Moore is very sickly, and I doubt will hardly get over his late fit of
sickness, that still hangs on him. In fine, for the good condition of
myself, wife, family, and estate, in the great degree that it is, and for
the public state of the nation, so quiett as it is, the Lord God be
praised!
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
All may see how slippery places all courtiers stand in
Bewailing the vanity and disorders of the age
Charles Barkeley's greatness is only his being pimp to the King
Fanatiques do say that the end of the world is at hand
Goldsmiths in supplying the King with money at dear rates
He made but a poor sermon, but long
Joyne the lion's skin to the fox's tail
Lady Castlemaine's interest at Court increases
Laughing and jeering at every thing that looks strange
Lord! to see the absurd nature of Englishmen
Short of what I expected, as for the most part it do fall out
Will upon occasion serve for a fine withdrawing room