t,
it being the Queen's birth-day, and so I carried them in my coach, and
having set them into the house, and gotten Mr. Pierce to undertake the
carrying in my wife, I to Unthanke's, where she appointed to be, and there
told her, and back again about business to White Hall, while Pierce went
and fetched her and carried her in. I, after I had met with Sir W.
Coventry and given him some account of matters, I also to the ball, and
with much ado got up to the loft, where with much trouble I could see very
well. Anon the house grew full, and the candles light, and the King and
Queen and all the ladies set: and it was, indeed, a glorious sight to see
Mrs. Stewart in black and white lace, and her head and shoulders dressed
with dyamonds, and the like a great many great ladies more, only the Queen
none; and the King in his rich vest of some rich silke and silver
trimming, as the Duke of York and all the dancers were, some of cloth of
silver, and others of other sorts, exceeding rich. Presently after the
King was come in, he took the Queene, and about fourteen more couple there
was, and began the Bransles. As many of the men as I can remember
presently, were, the King, Duke of York, Prince Rupert, Duke of Monmouth,
Duke of Buckingham, Lord Douglas,' Mr. [George] Hamilton, Colonell
Russell, Mr. Griffith, Lord Ossory, Lord Rochester; and of the ladies, the
Queene, Duchess of York, Mrs. Stewart, Duchess of Monmouth, Lady Essex
Howard, Mrs. Temples Swedes Embassadress, Lady Arlington; Lord George
Barkeley's daughter, and many others I remember not; but all most
excellently dressed in rich petticoats and gowns, and dyamonds, and
pearls. After the Bransles, then to a Corant, and now and then a French
dance; but that so rare that the Corants grew tiresome, that I wished it
done. Only Mrs. Stewart danced mighty finely, and many French dances,
specially one the King called the New Dance, which was very pretty; but
upon the whole matter, the business of the dancing of itself was not
extraordinary pleasing. But the clothes and sight of the persons was
indeed very pleasing, and worth my coming, being never likely to see more
gallantry while I live, if I should come twenty times. About twelve at
night it broke up, and I to hire a coach with much difficulty, but Pierce
had hired a chair for my wife, and so she being gone to his house, he and
I, taking up Barker at Unthanke's, to his house, whither his wife was come
home a good while ago