Diary, Jan/Feb 1665/66 | Page 7

Row,
few shops there being yet open, and there bought velvett for a coate,
and camelott for a cloake for myself; and thence to a place to look over
some fine counterfeit damasks to hang my wife's closett, and pitched
upon one, and so by coach home again, I calling at the 'Change, and so
home to dinner and all the afternoon look after my papers at home and
my office against to-morrow, and so after supper and considering the
uselessness of laying out so much money upon my wife's closett, but
only the chamber, to bed.

9th. Up, and then to the office, where we met first since the plague,
which God preserve us in! At noon home to dinner, where uncle
Thomas with me, and in comes Pierce lately come from Oxford, and
Ferrers. After dinner Pierce and I up to my chamber, where he tells me
how a great difference hath been between the Duke and Duchesse, he
suspecting her to be naught with Mr. Sidney.
["This Duchess was Chancellor Hyde's daughter, and she was a very
handsome woman, and had a great deal of wit; therefore it was not
without reason that Mr. Sydney, the handsomest youth of his time, of
the Duke's bedchamber, was so much in love with her, as appeared to
us all, and the Duchess not unkind to him, but very innocently. He was
afterwards banished the Court for another reason, as was reported" (Sir
John Reresby's "Memoirs," August 5th, 1664, ed. Cartwright, pp.
64,65). "'How could the Duke of York make my mother a Papist?' said
the Princess Mary to Dr. Bumet. 'The Duke caught a man in bed with
her,' said the Doctor, 'and then had power to make her do anything.'
The Prince, who sat by the fire, said, 'Pray, madam, ask the Doctor a
few more questions'" (Spence's "Anecdotes," ed. Singer, 329).]
But some way or other the matter is made up; but he was banished the

Court, and the Duke for many days did not speak to the Duchesse at all.
He tells me that my Lord Sandwich is lost there at Court, though the
King is particularly his friend. But people do speak every where
slightly of him; which is a sad story to me, but I hope it may be better
again. And that Sir G. Carteret is neglected, and hath great enemies at
work against him. That matters must needs go bad, while all the town,
and every boy in the streete, openly cries, "The King cannot go away
till my Lady Castlemaine be ready to come along with him;" she being
lately put to bed And that he visits her and Mrs. Stewart every morning
before he eats his breakfast. All this put together makes me very sad,
but yet I hope I shall do pretty well among them for all this, by my not
meddling with either of their matters. He and Ferrers gone I paid uncle
Thomas his last quarter's money, and then comes Mr. Gawden and he
and I talked above stairs together a good while about his business, and
to my great joy got him to declare that of the L500 he did give me the
other day, none of it was for my Treasurershipp for Tangier (I first
telling him how matters stand between Povy and I, that he was to have
half of whatever was coming to me by that office), and that he will
gratify me at 2 per cent. for that when he next receives any money. So
there is L80 due to me more than I thought of. He gone I with a glad
heart to the office to write, my letters and so home to supper and bed,
my wife mighty full of her worke she hath to do in furnishing her
bedchamber.

10th. Up, and by coach to Sir G. Downing, where Mr. Gawden met me
by agreement to talke upon the Act. I do find Sir G. Downing to be a
mighty talker, more than is true, which I now know to be so, and
suspected it before, but for all that I have good grounds to think it will
succeed for goods and in time for money too, but not presently. Having
done with him, I to my Lord Bruncker's house in Covent-Garden, and,
among other things, it was to acquaint him with my paper of Pursers,
and read it to him, and had his good liking of it. Shewed him Mr.
Coventry's sense of it, which he sent me last post much to my
satisfaction. Thence to the 'Change, and there hear to our grief how the
plague is encreased this week from seventy to eighty-nine. We have
also great fear of our Hambrough fleete, of their meeting