id not see him, but with Captn.
Ferrers in Mr. George Montagu's coach to Charing Cross; and there at the
Triumph tavern he showed me some Portugall ladys, which are come to
town before the Queen. They are not handsome, and their farthingales a
strange dress.

[Farthingales had gone out of fashion in England during the reign of
Charles I., and therefore their use by the Portuguese ladies
astonished the English. Evelyn also remarks in his Diary on this
ugly custom (May 30th, 1662).]

Many ladies and persons of quality come to see them. I find nothing
in them that is pleasing; and I see they have learnt to kiss and look
freely up and down already, and I do believe will soon forget the
recluse practice of their own country. They complain much for lack of
good water to drink. So to the Wardrobe back on foot and supped with
my Lady, and so home, and after a walk upon the leads with my wife, to
prayers and bed. The King's guards and some City companies do walk up
and down the town these five or six days; which makes me think, and they
do say, there are some plots in laying. God keep us.

26th. Up by four o'clock in the morning, and fell to the preparing of
some accounts for my Lord of Sandwich. By and by, by appointment comes
Mr. Moore, and, by what appears to us at present, we found that my Lord
is above L7,000 in debt, and that he hath money coming into him that
will clear all, and so we think him clear, but very little money in his
purse. So to my Lord's, and after he was ready, we spent an hour with
him, giving him an account thereof; and he having some L6,000 in his
hands, remaining of the King's, he is resolved to make use of that, and
get off of it as well as he can, which I like well of, for else I fear
he will scarce get beforehand again a great while. Thence home, and
to the Trinity House; where the Brethren (who have been at Deptford
choosing a new Maister; which is Sir J. Minnes, notwithstanding Sir W.
Batten did contend highly for it: at which I am not a little pleased,
because of his proud lady) about three o'clock came hither, and so to
dinner. I seated myself close by Mr. Prin, who, in discourse with me,
fell upon what records he hath of the lust and wicked lives of the
nuns heretofore in England, and showed me out of his pocket one wherein
thirty nuns for their lust were ejected of their house, being not fit
to live there, and by the Pope's command to be put, however, into
other nunnery