to dinner, and then to the office again, busy at the office till six at
night, and then by coach to St. James's, it being about six at night;
my design being to see the ceremonys, this night being the eve
of Christmas, at the Queen's chapel. But it being not begun I to
Westminster Hall, and there staid and walked, and then to the Swan, and
there drank and talked, and did banter a little Frank, and so to White
Hall, and sent my coach round, I through the Park to chapel, where I got
in up almost to the rail, and with a great deal of patience staid from
nine at night to two in the morning, in a very great crowd; and there
expected, but found nothing extraordinary, there being nothing but a
high masse. The Queen was there, and some ladies. But, Lord! what an
odde thing it was for me to be in a crowd of people, here a footman,
there a beggar, here a fine lady, there a zealous poor papist, and here
a Protestant, two or three together, come to see the shew. I was afeard
of my pocket being picked very much.... Their musique very good indeed,
but their service I confess too frivolous, that there can be no zeal go
along with it, and I do find by them themselves that they do run over
their beads with one hand, and point and play and talk and make signs
with the other in the midst of their masse. But all things very rich and
beautiful; and I see the papists have the wit, most of them, to bring
cushions to kneel on, which I wanted, and was mightily troubled to
kneel. All being done, and I sorry for my coming, missing of what I
expected; which was, to have had a child born and dressed there, and a
great deal of do: but we broke up, and nothing like it done: and there
I left people receiving the Sacrament: and the Queen gone, and ladies;
only my Lady Castlemayne, who looked prettily in her night-clothes, and
so took my coach, which waited, and away through Covent Garden, to set
down two gentlemen and a lady, who come thither to see also, and did
make mighty mirth in their talk of the folly of this religion. And so
I stopped, having set them down and drank some burnt wine at the Rose
Tavern door, while the constables come, and two or three Bellmen went
by,

25th. It being a fine, light, moonshine morning, and so home round the
city, and stopped and dropped money at five or six places, which I was
the willinger to do, it being Christmas-day, and so home, and there find
my wife in bed, and Jane and the maids making pyes, and so I to bed,