r with it." He thinks that it may be the Queen
hath commanded her to retire, though that is not likely. Thence with
Creed to hire a coach to carry us to Hide Park, to-day there being a
general muster of the King's Guards, horse and foot: but they demand so
high, that I, spying Mr. Cutler the merchant, did take notice of him,
and he going into his coach, and telling me that he was going to shew a
couple of Swedish strangers the muster, I asked and went along with him;
where a goodly sight to see so many fine horses and officers, and the
King, Duke, and others come by a-horseback, and the two Queens in the
Queen-Mother's coach, my Lady Castlemaine not being there. And after
long being there, I 'light, and walked to the place where the King,
Duke, &c., did stand to see the horse and foot march by and discharge
their guns, to show a French Marquisse (for whom this muster was caused)
the goodness of our firemen; which indeed was very good, though not
without a slip now and then; and one broadside close to our coach we had
going out of the Park, even to the nearness as to be ready to burn our
hairs. Yet methought all these gay men are not the soldiers that must do
the King's business, it being such as these that lost the old King all
he had, and were beat by the most ordinary fellows that could be. Thence
with much ado out of the Park, and I 'lighted and through St. James's
down the waterside over, to Lambeth, to see the Archbishop's corps (who
is to be carried away to Oxford on Monday), but came too late, and
so walked over the fields and bridge home (calling by the way at old
George's), but find that he is dead, and there wrote several letters,
and so home to supper and to bed. This day in the Duke's chamber there
being a Roman story in the hangings, and upon the standards written
these four letters--S. P. Q. R., Sir G. Carteret came to me to know what
the meaning of those four letters were; which ignorance is not to be
borne in a Privy Counsellor, methinks, that a schoolboy should be whipt
for not knowing.

5th (Lord's day). Lady Batten had sent twice to invite me to go with
them to Walthamstow to-day, Mrs. Martha' being married already this
morning to Mr. Castle, at this parish church. I could not rise soon
enough to go with them, but got myself ready, and so to Games's, where I
got a horse and rode thither very pleasantly, only coming to make water
I found a stopping, which makes me fearful of my old pain. Being come
thi