r, though never to eat or
lie together, it will be laid to him. He tells me also how the Duke of
York is smitten in love with my Lady Chesterfield

[Lady Elizabeth Butler, daughter of James Butler, first Duke of
Ormond, second wife of Philip Stanhope, second Earl of Chesterfield.
She died July, 1665 (see "Memoires de Grammont," chap. viii.).
Peter Cunningham thinks that this banishment was only temporary,
for, according to the Grammont Memoirs, she was in town when the
Russian ambassador was in London, December, 1662, and January, 1662-
63. "It appears from the books of the Lord Steward's office...
that Lord Chesterfield set out for the country on the 12th May,
1663, and, from his 'Short Notes' referred to in the Memoirs before
his Correspondence, that he remained at Bretby, in Derbyshire, with
his wife, throughout the summer of that year" ("Story of Nell Gwyn,"
1852, p. 189).]

(a virtuous lady, daughter to my Lord of Ormond); and so much, that the
duchess of York hath complained to the King and her father about it, and
my Lady Chesterfield is gone into the country for it. At all which I
am sorry; but it is the effect of idleness, and having nothing else to
employ their great spirits upon. Thence with Mr. Creede and Mr. Moore
(who is got upon his legs and come to see my Lord) to Wilkinson's, and
there I did give them and Mr. Howe their dinner of roast beef, cost me
5s., and after dinner carried Mr. Moore as far as Paul's in a coach,
giving him direction about my law business, and there set him down, and
I home and among my workmen, who happened of all sorts to meet to their
making an end of a great many jobbs, so that after to-morrow I shall
have but a little plastering and all the painting almost to do, which
was good content to me. At night to my office, and did business; and
there came to me Mr. Wade and Evett, who have been again with their
prime intelligencer, a woman, I perceive: and though we have missed
twice, yet they bring such an account of the probability of the truth
of the thing, though we are not certain of the place, that we shall set
upon it once more; and I am willing and hopefull in it. So we resolved
to set upon it again on Wednesday morning; and the woman herself will be
there in a disguise, and confirm us in the place. So they took leave for
the night, and I to my business, and then home to my wife and to supper
and bed, my pain being g