rs. Wells

[Winifred Wells, maid of honour to the Queen, who figures in the
"Grammont Memoirs." The king is supposed to have been father of the
child. A similar adventure is told of Mary Kirke (afterwards
married to Sir Thomas Vernon), who figures in the "Grammont Memoirs"
as Miss Warmestre.]

fell sick that afternoon, and hath disappeared ever since, so that it is
concluded that it was her. Another story was how my Lady Castlemaine, a
few days since, had Mrs. Stuart to an entertainment, and at night began
a frolique that they two must be married, and married they were, with
ring and all other ceremonies of church service, and ribbands and a sack
posset in bed, and flinging the stocking; but in the close, it is said
that my Lady Castlemaine, who was the bridegroom, rose, and the King
came and took her place with pretty Mrs. Stuart. This is said to be very
true. Another story was how Captain Ferrers and W. Howe both have often,
through my Lady Castlemaine's window, seen her go to bed and Sir Charles
Barkeley in the chamber all the while with her. But the other day Captn.
Ferrers going to Sir Charles to excuse his not being so timely at his
arms the other day, Sir Charles swearing and cursing told him before
a great many other gentlemen that he would not suffer any man of the
King's Guards to be absent from his lodging a night without leave. Not
but that, says he, once a week or so I know a gentleman must go..., and
I am not for denying it to any man, but however he shall be bound to
ask leave to lie abroad, and to give account of his absence, that we
may know what guard the King has to depend upon. The little Duke of
Monmouth, it seems, is ordered to take place of all Dukes, and so to
follow Prince Rupert now, before the Duke of Buckingham, or any else.
Whether the wind and the cold did cause it or no I know not, but having
been this day or two mightily troubled with an itching all over my
body' which I took to be a louse or two that might bite me, I found this
afternoon that all my body is inflamed, and my face in a sad redness and
swelling and pimpled, so that I was before we had done walking not only
sick but ashamed of myself to see myself so changed in my countenance,
so that after we had thus talked we parted and I walked home with much
ado (Captn. Ferrers with me as far as Ludgate Hill towards Mr. Moore
at the Wardrobe), the ways being so full of ice and water by peoples'
trampling. At