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, calling upon Michell, whose
wife and girle are pretty well, and I home to dinner, and after dinner
with Sir W. Batten to White Hall, there to attend the Du