Queen's Chapel and there hear their musique, which I
liked in itself pretty well as to the composition, but their voices are
very harsh and rough that I thought it was some instruments they had that
made them sound so. So to White Hall, and saw the King and Queen at
dinner; and observed (which I never did before), the formality, but it is
but a formality, of putting a bit of bread wiped upon each dish into the
mouth of every man that brings a dish; but it should be in the sauce.
Here were some Russes come to see the King at dinner: among others, the
interpreter, a comely Englishman, in the Envoy's own clothes; which the
Envoy, it seems, in vanity did send to show his fine clothes upon this
man's back, which is one, it seems, of a comelier presence than himself:
and yet it is said that none of their clothes are their own, but taken out
of the King's own Wardrobe; and which they dare not bring back dirty or
spotted, but clean, or are in danger of being beaten, as they say:
insomuch that, Sir Charles Cotterell says, when they are to have an
audience they never venture to put on their clothes till he appears to
come to fetch them; and, as soon as ever they come home, put them off
again. I to Sir G. Carteret's to dinner; where Mr. Cofferer Ashburnham;
who told a good story of a prisoner's being condemned at Salisbury for a
small matter. While he was on the bench with his father-in-law, judge
Richardson, and while they were considering to transport him to save his
life, the fellow flung a great stone at the judge, that missed him, but
broke through the wainscoat. Upon this, he had his hand cut off, and was
hanged presently! Here was a gentleman, one Sheres, one come lately from
my Lord Sandwich, with an express; but, Lord! I was almost ashamed to see
him, lest he should know that I have not yet wrote one letter to my Lord
since his going. I had no discourse with him, but after dinner Sir G.
Carteret and I to talk about some business of his, and so I to Mrs.
Martin, where was Mrs. Burroughs, and also fine Mrs. Noble, my partner in
the christening of Martin's child, did come to see it, and there we sat
and talked an hour, and then all broke up and I by coach home, and there
find Mr. Pelling and Howe, and we to sing and good musique till late, and
then to supper, and Howe lay at my house, and so after supper to bed with
much content, only my mind a little troubled at my late breach of vowes,
which however I will pay my forfe