which is very handsome, and I do think to keep to black and gold lace upon
gray, being the colour of my arms, for ever. To church in the morning,
and so home with Sir W. Batten, and there eat some boiled great oysters,
and so home, and while I was at dinner with my wife I was sick, and was
forced to vomit up my oysters again, and then I was well. By and by a
coach came to call me by my appointment, and so my wife and I carried to
Westminster to Mrs. Hunt's, and I to Whitehall, Worcester House, and to my
Lord Treasurer's to have found Sir G. Carteret, but missed in all these
places. So back to White Hall, and there met with Captn. Isham, this day
come from Lisbon, with letters from the Queen to the King. And he did
give me letters which speak that our fleet is all at Lisbon;

[One of these letters was probably from John Creed. Mr. S. J.
Davey, of 47, Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, in 1889 had in his
possession nine long letters from Creed to Pepys. In the first of
these, dated from Lisbon, March, 1662, Creed wrote: "My Lord
Embassador doth all he can to hasten the Queen's Majestie's
embarquement, there being reasons enough against suffering any
unnecessary delay." There appear to have been considerable delays
in the arrangements for the following declaration of Charles II.
was dated June 22nd, 1661: "Charles R. Whereas his Maj. is resolved
to declare, under his Royall hand and seale, the most illustrious
Lady Infanta of Portugall to be his lawfull wife, before the Treaty
shall be signed by the King of Portugall; which is to be done only
for the better expediting the marriage, without sending to Rome for
a dispensation, which the laws of Portugall would require if the
said most Illustrious Infanta were to be betrothed in that
Kingdome," &c.]

and that the Queen do not intend to embarque sooner than tomorrow come