e was Sir Edward Montagu's seat, from which he
afterwards took his second title. Hinchinbroke House, so often
mentioned in the Diary, stood about half a mile to the westward of
the town of Huntingdon. It was erected late in the reign of
Elizabeth, by Sir Henry Cromwell, on the site of a Benedictine
nunnery, granted at the Dissolution, with all its appurtenances, to
his father, Richard Williams, who had assumed the name of Cromwell,
and whose grandson, Sir Oliver, was the uncle and godfather of the
Protector. The knight, who was renowned for, his hospitality, had
the honour of entertaining King James at Hinchinbroke, but, getting
into pecuniary difficulties, was obliged to sell his estates, which
were conveyed, July 28th, 1627, to Sir Sidney Montagu of Barnwell,
father of the first Earl of Sandwich, in whose descendant they are
still vested. On the morning of the 22nd January, 1830, during the
minority of the seventh Earl, Hinchinbroke was almost entirely
destroyed by fire, but the pictures and furniture were mostly saved,
and the house has been rebuilt in the Elizabethan style, and the
interior greatly improved, under the direction of Edward Blore,
Esq., R.A.--B.]

and news of Mr. Sheply's going thither the next week. I dined at home,
and from thence went to Will's to Shaw, who promised me to go along with
me to Atkinson's about some money, but I found him at cards with Spicer
and D. Vines, and could not get him along with me. I was vext at this,
and went and walked in the Hall, where I heard that the Parliament spent
this day in fasting and prayer; and in the afternoon came letters from the
North, that brought certain news that my Lord Lambent his forces were all
forsaking him, and that he was left with only fifty horse, and that he did
now declare for the Parliament himself; and that my Lord Fairfax did also
rest satisfied, and had laid down his arms, and that what he had done was
only to secure the country against my Lord Lambert his raising of money,
and free quarter. I went to Will's again, where I found them still at
cards, and Spicer had won 14s. of Shaw and Vines. Then I spent a little
time with G. Vines and Maylard at Vines's at our viols.

[It was usual to have a "chest of viols," which consisted of six,
viz., two trebles, two tenors, and two basses (see note in North's
"Memoirs of Musick," ed. Rim