much as smile or speak to any body. I followed them up into White Hall,
and into the Queen's presence, where all the ladies walked, talking and
fiddling with their hats and feathers, and changing and trying one
another's by one another's heads, and laughing. But it was the finest
sight to me, considering their great beautys and dress, that ever I did
see in all my life. But, above all, Mrs. Stewart in this dress, with her
hat cocked and a red plume, with her sweet eye, little Roman nose, and
excellent taille, is now the greatest beauty I ever saw, I think, in my
life; and, if ever woman can, do exceed my Lady Castlemaine, at least in
this dress nor do I wonder if the King changes, which I verily believe is
the reason of his coldness to my Lady Castlemaine. Here late, with much
ado I left to look upon them, and went away, and by water, in a boat with
other strange company, there being no other to be had, and out of him into
a sculler half to the bridge, and so home and to Sir W. Batten, where I
staid telling him and Sir J. Minnes and Mrs. Turner, with great mirth, my
being frighted at Chatham by young Edgeborough, and so home to supper and
to bed, before I sleep fancying myself to sport with Mrs. Stewart with
great pleasure.

14th. Up a little late, last night recovering my sleepiness for the night
before, which was lost, and so to my office to put papers and things to
right, and making up my journal from Wednesday last to this day. All the
morning at my office doing of business; at noon Mr. Hunt came to me, and
he and I to the Exchange, and a Coffee House, and drank there, and thence
to my house to dinner, whither my uncle Thomas came, and he tells me that
he is going down to Wisbech, there to try what he can recover of my uncle
Day's estate, and seems to have good arguments for what he do go about, in
which I wish him good speed. I made him almost foxed, the poor man having
but a bad head, and not used I believe nowadays to drink much wine. So
after dinner, they being gone, I to my office, and so home to bed. This