any lady in France; and that, if she might stay, for the honour
of his Court he would take care she should not repent. But her mother,
by command of the Queen-mother, thought rather to bring her into
England; and the King of France did give her a jewell: so that Mr.
Evelyn believes she may be worth in jewells about L6000, and that that
is all that she hath in the world: and a worthy woman; and in this hath
done as great an act of honour as ever was done by woman. That now the
Countesse Castlemayne do carry all before her: and among other arguments
to prove Mrs. Stewart to have been honest to the last, he says that
the King's keeping in still with my Lady Castlemayne do show it; for he
never was known to keep two mistresses in his life, and would never have
kept to her had he prevailed any thing with Mrs. Stewart. She is gone
yesterday with her Lord to Cobham. He did tell me of the ridiculous
humour of our King and Knights of the Garter the other day, who, whereas
heretofore their robes were only to be worn during their ceremonies
and service, these, as proud of their coats, did wear them all day till
night, and then rode into the Parke with them on. Nay, and he tells me
he did see my Lord Oxford and the Duke of Monmouth in a hackney-coach
with two footmen in the Parke, with their robes on; which is a most
scandalous thing, so as all gravity may be said to be lost among us. By
and by we discoursed of Sir Thomas Clifford, whom I took for a very rich
and learned man, and of the great family of that name. He tells me he is
only a man of about seven-score pounds a-year, of little learning more
than the law of a justice of peace, which he knows well: a parson's son,
got to be burgess in a little borough in the West, and here fell into
the acquaintance of my Lord Arlington, whose creature he is, and never
from him; a man of virtue, and comely, and good parts enough; and hath
come into his place with a great grace, though with a great skip over
the heads of a great many, as Chichly and Duncum, and some Lords that
did expect it. By the way, he tells me, that of all the great men of
England there is none that endeavours more to raise those that he takes
into favour than my Lord Arlington; and that, on that score, he is much
more to be made one's patron than my Lord Chancellor, who never did,
nor never will do, any thing, but for money! After having this long
discourse we parted, about one of the clock, and so away by water home,
c