ng the
fool with the lass of the house at the door of the chamber, and so to
bed.

27th. Up by four o'clock, and after I was ready, took my leave of my
father, whom I left in bed, and the same of my brother John, to whom I
gave 10s. Mr. Blayton and I took horse and straight to Saffron Walden,
where at the White Hart, we set up our horses, and took the master of
the house to shew us Audley End House, who took us on foot through
the park, and so to the house, where the housekeeper shewed us all the
house, in which the stateliness of the ceilings, chimney-pieces, and
form of the whole was exceedingly worth seeing. He took us into the
cellar, where we drank most admirable drink, a health to the King. Here
I played on my flageolette, there being an excellent echo. He shewed us
excellent pictures; two especially, those of the four Evangelists and
Henry VIII. After that I gave the man 2s. for his trouble, and went back
again. In our going, my landlord carried us through a very old hospital
or almshouse, where forty poor people was maintained; a very old
foundation; and over the chimney in the mantelpiece was an inscription
in brass: "Orate pre anima Thomae Bird," &c.; and the poor box also was
on the same chimney-piece, with an iron door and locks to it, into which
I put 6d. They brought me a draft of their drink in a brown bowl, tipt
with silver, which I drank off, and at the bottom was a picture of the
Virgin and the child in her arms, done in silver. So we went to our Inn,
and after eating of something, and kissed the daughter of the house,
she being very pretty, we took leave, and so that night, the road pretty
good, but the weather rainy to Ep[p]ing, where we sat and played a game
at cards, and after supper, and some merry talk with a plain bold maid
of the house, we went to bed.

28th. Up in the morning, and had some red herrings to our breakfast,
while my boot-heel was a-mending, by the same token the boy left the
hole as big as it was before. Then to horse, and for London through the
forest, where we found the way good, but only in one path, which we kept
as if we had rode through a canal all the way. We found the shops all
shut, and the militia of the red regiment in arms at the Old Exchange,
among whom I found and spoke to Nich. Osborne, who told me that it was
a thanksgiving-day through the City for the return of the Parliament.
At Paul's I light, Mr. Blayton holding my horse, where I found Dr.
Reynolds' in the pu