he words,
did say was excellent. I confess I was mightily pleased with the
musique. He pretends not to voice, though it be good, but not excellent.
This done, T. Killigrew and I to talk: and he tells me how the audience
at his house is not above half so much as it used to be before the late
fire. That Knipp is like to make the best actor that ever come upon the
stage, she understanding so well: that they are going to give her L30
a-year more. That the stage is now by his pains a thousand times better
and more glorious than ever heretofore. Now, wax-candles, and many
of them; then, not above 3 lbs. of tallow: now, all things civil,
no rudeness anywhere; then, as in a bear-garden then, two or three
fiddlers; now, nine or ten of the best then, nothing but rushes upon
the ground, and every thing else mean; and now, all otherwise: then, the
Queen seldom and the King never would come; now, not the King only for
state, but all civil people do think they may come as well as any. He
tells me that he hath gone several times, eight or ten times, he tells
me, hence to Rome to hear good musique; so much he loves it, though he
never did sing or play a note. That he hath ever endeavoured in the late
King's time, and in this, to introduce good musique, but he never could
do it, there never having been any musique here better than ballads.
Nay, says, "Hermitt poore" and "Chevy Chese"

["Like hermit poor in pensive place obscure" is found in "The
Phoenix Nest," 1593, and in Harl. MS. No. 6910, written soon after
1596. It was set to music by Alfonso Ferrabosco, and published in
his "Ayres," 1609. The song was a favourite with Izaak Walton, and
is alluded to in "Hudibras" (Part I., canto ii., line 1169). See
Rimbault's "Little Book of Songs and Ballads," 1851, p. 98. Both
versions of the famous ballad of "Chevy Chase" are printed in
Percy's "Reliques."]

was all the musique we had; and yet no ordinary fiddlers get so much
money as ours do here, which speaks our rudenesse still. That he hath
gathered our Italians from several Courts in Christendome, to come to
make a concert for the King, which he do give L200 a-year a-piece to:
but badly paid, and do come in the room of keeping four ridiculous
gundilows,

[The gondolas mentioned before, as sent by the Doge of Venice. See
September 12th, 1661]

he having got, the King to put them away, and lay out money this way;
and indeed I do c