lain lady. After that to the Dr.'s, where we drank a while or so. In a
coach of a friend's of Dr. Cade we went to see a house of the Princess
Dowager's in a park about half-a-mile or a mile from the Hague, where
there is one, the most beautiful room for pictures in the whole world.
She had here one picture upon the top, with these words, dedicating it
to the memory of her husband:--"Incomparabili marito, inconsolabilis
vidua."
[Mary, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of Charles I., and widow of
William of Nassau, Prince of Orange. She was not supposed to be
inconsolable, and scandal followed her at the court of Charles II.,
where she died of small-pox, December 24th, 1660.]
Here I met with Mr. Woodcock of Cambridge, Mr. Hardy and another, and
Mr. Woodcock beginning we had two or three fine songs, he and I, and
W. Howe to the Echo, which was very pleasant, and the more because in a
heaven of pleasure and in a strange country, that I never was taken up
more with a sense of pleasure in my life. After that we parted and back
to the Hague and took a tour or two about the Forehault,--[The Voorhout
is the principal street of the Hague, and it is lined with handsome
trees.]--where the ladies in the evening do as our ladies do in Hide
Park. But for my life I could not find one handsome, but their coaches
very rich and themselves so too. From thence, taking leave of the
Doctor, we took wagon to Scheveling, where we had a fray with the
Boatswain of the Richmond, who would not freely carry us on board, but
at last he was willing to it, but then it was so late we durst not go.
So we returned between 10 and 11 at night in the dark with a wagon with
one horse to the Hague, where being come we went to bed as well as we
could be accommodated, and so to sleep.
18th. Very early up, and, hearing that the Duke of York, our Lord High
Admiral, would go on board to-day, Mr. Pickering and I took waggon for
Scheveling, leaving the child in Mr. Pierces hands, with directions to
keep him within doors all day till he heard from me. But the wind being
very high that no boats could get off from shore, we returned to
the Hague (having breakfasted with a gentleman of the Duke's, and
Commissioner Pett, sent on purpose to give notice to my Lord of his
coming), where I hear that the child is gone to Delfe to see the town.
So we all and Mr. Ibbott, the Minister, took a schuit--[The trekschuit
(drag-boat) along the canal is still des
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