taylor's, and then to dress myself very fine, about 4 or 5 o'clock, and by
that time comes Mr. Batelier and Mercer, and away by coach to Mrs.
Pierces, by appointment, where we find good company: a fair lady, my Lady
Prettyman, Mrs. Corbet, Knipp; and for men, Captain Downing, Mr. Lloyd,
Sir W. Coventry's clerk, and one Mr. Tripp, who dances well. After some
trifling discourse, we to dancing, and very good sport, and mightily
pleased I was with the company. After our first bout of dancing, Knipp
and I to sing, and Mercer and Captain Downing (who loves and understands
musique) would by all means have my song of "Beauty, retire." which Knipp
had spread abroad; and he extols it above any thing he ever heard, and,
without flattery, I know it is good in its kind. This being done and
going to dance again, comes news that White Hall was on fire; and
presently more particulars, that the Horse-guard was on fire;

["Nov. 9th. Between seven and eight at night, there happened a fire
in the Horse Guard House, in the Tilt Yard, over against Whitehall,
which at first arising, it is supposed, from some snuff of a candle
falling amongst the straw, broke out with so sudden a flame, that at
once it seized the north-west part of that building; but being so
close under His Majesty's own eye, it was, by the timely help His
Majesty and His Royal Highness caused to be applied, immediately
stopped, and by ten o'clock wholly mastered, with the loss only of
that part of the building it had at first seized."--The London
Gazette, No. 103.--B.]

and so we run up to the garret, and find it so; a horrid great fire; and
by and by we saw and heard part of it blown up with powder. The ladies
begun presently to be afeard: one fell into fits. The whole town in an
alarme. Drums beat and trumpets, and the guards every where spread,
running up and down in the street. And I begun to have mighty