en good
dishes to a messe, with plenty of wine of all sorts, of which I drank
none; but it was very unpleasing that we had no napkins nor change of
trenchers, and drunk out of earthen pitchers and wooden dishes. It
happened that after the lords had half dined, came the French ambassador
up to the lords' table, where he was to have sat; he would not sit down
nor dine with the Lord Mayor, who was not yet come, nor have a table to
himself, which was offered, but, in a discontent, went away again. After
I had dined, I and Creed rose and went up and down the house, and up to
the ladies' room, and there stayed gazing upon them. But though there
were many and fine, both young and old, yet I could not discern one
handsome face there, which was very strange. I expected musique, but
there was none, but only trumpets and drums, which displeased me. The
dinner, it seems, is made by the mayor and two sheriffs for the time
being, the Lord Mayor paying one half, and they the other; and the
whole, Proby says, is reckoned to come to about seven or eight hundred
at most. Being wearied with looking at a company of ugly women, Creed
and I went away, and took coach, and through Cheapside, and there saw
the pageants, which were very silly. The Queene mends apace, they say,
but yet talks idle still."

In 1672 "London Triumphant, or the City in Jollity and Splendour," was
the title of Jordan's pageant for Sir Robert Hanson, of the Grocers'
Company. The Mayor, just against Bow Church, was saluted by three
pageants; on the two side stages were placed two griffins (the
supporters of the Grocers' arms), upon which were seated two negroes,
Victory and Gladness attending; while in the centre or principal stage
behind reigned Apollo, surrounded by Fame, Peace, Justice, Aurora,
Flora, and Ceres. The god addressed the Mayor in a very high-flown
strain of compliment, saying--

"With Oriental eyes I come to see,
And gratulate this great solemnitie.
It hath been often said, so often done,
That all men will worship the rising sun.
(_He rises._)
Such are the blessings of his beams. But now
The rising sun, my lord, doth worship you."
(_Apollo bows politely to the Lord Mayor._)

Next was displayed a wilderness, with moors planting and labouring,
attended by three pipers and several kitchen musicians that played upon
tongs, gridirons, keys, "and other such like confused musick." Above
all, upon a mound, sat America, "a pro