Produced by David Widger
(Unabridged)
JANUARY & FEBRUARY 1662-1663
January 1st, 1662-63.
Lay with my wife at my Lord's lodgings, where I have been these twonights, till 10 o'clock with great pleasure talking, then I rose and toWhite Hall, where I spent a little time walking among the courtiers, whichI perceive I shall be able to do with great confidence, being nowbeginning to be pretty well known among them. Then to my wife again, andfound Mrs. Sarah with us in the chamber we lay in. Among other discourse,Mrs. Sarah tells us how the King sups at least four or [five] times everyweek with my Lady Castlemaine; and most often stays till the morning withher, and goes home through the garden all alone privately, and that so asthe very centrys take notice of it and speak of it. She tells me, thatabout a month ago she [Lady Castlemaine] quickened at my Lord Gerard's atdinner, and cried out that she was undone; and all the lords and men werefain to quit the room, and women called to help her. In fine, I find thatthere is nothing almost but bawdry at Court from top to bottom, as, if itwere fit, I could instance, but it is not necessary; only they say my LordChesterfield, groom of the stole to the Queen, is either gone or put awayfrom the Court upon the score of his lady's having smitten the Duke ofYork, so as that he is watched by the Duchess of York, and his lady isretired into the country upon it. How much of this is true, God knows,but it is common talk. After dinner I did reckon with Mrs. Sarah for whatwe have eat and drank here, and gave her a crown, and so took coach, andto the Duke's House, where we saw "The Villaine" again; and the more I seeit, the more I am offended at my first undervaluing the play, it beingvery good and pleasant, and yet a true and allowable tragedy. The housewas full of citizens, and so the less pleasant, but that I was willing tomake an end of my gaddings, and to set to my business for all the yearagain tomorrow. Here we saw the old Roxalana in the chief box, in avelvet gown, as the fashion is, and very handsome, at which I was glad.Hence by coach home, where I find all well, only Sir W. Pen they say illagain. So to my office to set down these two or three days' journall, andto close the last year therein, and so that being done, home to supper,and to bed, with great pleasure talking and discoursing with my wife ofour late observations abroad.
2nd. Lay long in bed, and so up and to the office, where all the morningalone doing something or another. So dined at home with my wife, and inthe afternoon to the Treasury office, where Sir W. Batten was paying offtickets, but so simply and arbitrarily, upon a dull pretence of doingright to the King, though to the wrong of poor people (when I know thereis no man that means the King less right than he, or would trouble himselfless about it, but only that