to look for it somewhere else. Here
it raining hard he and I walked into the King's Bench Court, where
I never was before, and there staid an hour almost, till it had done
raining, which is a sad season, that it is said there hath not been one
fair day these three months, and I think it is true, and then by water
to Westminster, and at the Parliament House I spoke with Roger Pepys.
The House is upon the King's answer to their message about Temple, which
is, that my Lord of Bristoll did tell him that Temple did say those
words; so the House are resolved upon sending some of their members to
him to know the truth, and to demand satisfaction if it be not true. So
by water home, and after a little while getting me ready, Sir W. Batten,
Sir J. Minnes, my Lady Batten, and I by coach to Bednall Green, to Sir
W. Rider's to dinner, where a fine place, good lady mother, and their
daughter, Mrs. Middleton, a fine woman. A noble dinner, and a fine merry
walk with the ladies alone after dinner in the garden, which is very
pleasant; the greatest quantity of strawberrys I ever saw, and good,
and a collation of great mirth, Sir J. Minnes reading a book of scolding
very prettily. This very house

[Sir William Rider's house was known as Kirby Castle, and was
supposed to have been built in 1570 by John Thorpe for John Kirby.
It was associated in rhyme with other follies of the time in bricks
and mortar, as recorded by Stow

"Kirkebyes Castell, and Fisher's Follie,
Spinila's pleasure, and Megse's glorie."

The place was known in Strype's time as the "Blind Beggar's House,"
but he knew nothing of the ballad, "The Beggar's Daughter of Bednall
Green," for he remarks, "perhaps Kirby beggared himself by it." Sr.
William Rider died at this house in 1669.]

was built by the Blind Beggar of Bednall Green, so much talked of and
sang in ballads; but they say it was only some of the outhouses of it.
We drank great store of wine, and a beer glass at last which made me
almost sick. At table, discoursing of thunder and lightning, they
told many stories of their own knowledge at table of their masts being
shivered from top to bottom, and sometimes only within and the outside
whole, but among the rest Sir W. Rider did tell a story of his own
knowledge, that a Genoese gaily in Leghorn Roads was struck by thunder,
so as the mast was broke a-pieces, and the shackle upon one o