Diary, April 1668 | Page 9

noon comes Mr. Clerke, my solicitor, and the Auditor's
men with my account drawn up in the Exchequer way with their
queries, which are neither many nor great, or hard to answer upon it,
and so dined with me, and then I by coach to the King's playhouse, and
there saw "The English Monsieur;"' sitting for privacy sake in an upper
box: the play hath much mirth in it as to that particular humour. After
the play done, I down to Knipp, and did stay her undressing herself;
and there saw the several players, men and women go by; and pretty to
see how strange they are all, one to another, after the play is done. Here
I saw a wonderful pretty maid of her own, that come to undress her,
and one so pretty that she says she intends not to keep her, for fear of
her being undone in her service, by coming to the playhouse. Here I
hear Sir W. Davenant is just now dead; and so who will succeed him in
the mastership of the house is not yet known. The eldest Davenport is,
it seems, gone from this house to be kept by somebody; which I am
glad of, she being a very bad actor. I took her then up into a coach and
away to the Park, which is now very fine after some rain, but the
company was going away most, and so I took her to the Lodge, and
there treated her and had a deal of good talk, and now and then did
baiser la, and that was all, and that as much or more than I had much
mind to because of her paint. She tells me mighty news, that my Lady
Castlemayne is mightily in love with Hart of their house: and he is
much with her in private, and she goes to him, and do give him many
presents; and that the thing is most certain, and Becke Marshall only
privy to it, and the means of bringing them together, which is a very
odd thing; and by this means she is even with the King's love to Mrs.
Davis. This done, I carried her and set her down at Mrs. Manuel's, but
stayed not there myself, nor went in; but straight home, and there to my
letters, and so home to bed.

8th. Up, and at my office all the morning, doing business, and then at
noon home to dinner all alone. Then to White Hall with Sir J. Minnes

in his coach to attend the Duke of York upon our usual business, which
was this day but little, and thence with Lord Brouncker to the Duke of
York's playhouse, where we saw "The Unfortunate Lovers," no
extraordinary play, methinks, and thence I to Drumbleby's, and there
did talk a great deal about pipes; and did buy a recorder, which I do
intend to learn to play on, the sound of it being, of all sounds in the
world, most pleasing to me. Thence home, and to visit Mrs. Turner,
where among other talk, Mr. Foly and her husband being there, she did
tell me of young Captain Holmes's marrying of Pegg Lowther last
Saturday by stealth, which I was sorry for, he being an idle rascal, and
proud, and worth little, I doubt; and she a mighty pretty, well-disposed
lady, and good fortune. Her mother and friends take on mightily; but
the sport is, Sir Robert Holmes do seem to be mad too with his brother,
and will disinherit him, saying that he hath ruined himself, marrying
below himself, and to his disadvantage; whereas, I said, in this
company, that I had married a sister lately, with little above half that
portion, that he should have kissed her breech before he should have
had her, which, if R. Holmes should hear, would make a great quarrel;
but it is true I am heartily sorry for the poor girl that is undone by it. So
home to my chamber, to be fingering of my Recorder, and getting of
the scale of musique without book, which I at last see is necessary for a
man that would understand musique, as it is now taught to understand,
though it be a ridiculous and troublesome way, and I know I shall be
able hereafter to show the world a simpler way; but, like the old
hypotheses in philosophy, it must be learned, though a man knows a
better. Then to supper, and to bed. This morning Mr. Christopher Pett's
widow and daughter come to me, to desire my help to the King and
Duke of York, and I did promise, and do pity her.

9th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning sitting, then at noon
home