hem. Then to my wife
again, and found 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 every week with my Lady Castlemaine; and most often stays
till the morning with her, and goes home through the garden all alone
privately, and that so as the very centrys take notice of it and speak
of it. She tells me, that about a month ago she [Lady Castlemaine]
quickened at my Lord Gerard's at dinner, and cried out that she was
undone; and all the lords and men were fain to quit the room, and women
called to help her. In fine, I find that there is nothing almost
but bawdry at Court from top to bottom, as, if it were fit, I could
instance, but it is not necessary; only they say my Lord Chesterfield,
groom of the stole to the Queen, is either gone or put away from the
Court upon the score of his lady's having smitten the Duke of York, so
as that he is watched by the Duchess of York, and his lady is retired
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 what we have
eat and drank here, and gave her a crown, and so took coach, and to the
Duke's House, where we saw "The Villaine" again; and the more I see it,
the more I am offended at my first undervaluing the play, it being very
good and pleasant, and yet a true and allowable tragedy. The house was
full of citizens, and so the less pleasant, but that I was willing to
make an end of my gaddings, and to set to my business for all the year
again tomorrow. Here we saw the old Roxalana in the chief box, in a
velvet 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 ill
again. So to my office to set down these two or three days' journall,
and to 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 of our late observations abroad.

2nd. Lay long in bed, and so up and to the office, where all the morning
alone doing something or another. So dined at home with my wife, and in
the afternoon to the Treasury office, where Sir W. Batten was paying off
tickets, but so simply and arbitrarily, upon a dull pretence of doing
right to the King, though to the wrong of poor people (when I know
there is no man that means the King less right than he, or would trouble
himsel