they could get. I took a great
deal of pleasure to go up and down, and look upon the ladies, and to
hear the musique of all sorts, but above all, the 24 violins: About six
at night they had dined, and I went up to my wife, and there met with a
pretty lady (Mrs. Frankleyn, a Doctor's wife, a friend of Mr. Bowyer's),
and kissed them both, and by and by took them down to Mr. Bowyer's. And
strange it is to think, that these two days have held up fair till now
that all is done, and the King gone out of the Hall; and then it fell
a-raining and thundering and lightening as I have not seen it do for
some years: which people did take great notice of; God's blessing of the
work of these two days, which is a foolery to take too much notice of
such things. I observed little disorder in all this, but only the King's
footmen had got hold of the canopy, and would keep it from the Barons of
the Cinque Ports,

[Bishop Kennett gives a somewhat fuller account of this unseemly
broil: "No sooner had the aforesaid Barons brought up the King to
the foot of the stairs in Westminster Hall, ascending to his throne,
and turned on the left hand (towards their own table) out of the
way, but the King's footmen most insolently and violently seized
upon the canopy, which the Barons endeavouring to keep and defend,
were by their number and strength dragged clown to the lower end of
the Hall, nevertheless still keeping their hold; and had not Mr.
Owen York Herald, being accidentally near the Hall door, and seeing
the contest, caused the same to be shut, the footmen had certainly
carried it away by force. But in the interim also (speedy notice
hereof having been given the King) one of the Querries were sent
from him, with command to imprison the footmen, and dismiss them out
of his service, which put an end to the present disturbance. These
footmen were also commanded to make their submission to the Court of
Claims, which was accordingly done by them the 30th April following,
and the canopy then delivered back to the said Barons." Whilst this
disturbance happened, the upper end of the first table, which had
been appointed for the Barons of the Cinque Ports, was taken up by
the Bishops, judges, &c., probably nothing loth to take precedence
of them; and the poor Barons, naturally unwilling to lose their
dinner, were necessitated to eat it at the