them of my knowledge of
that disease, which I believe will be told my Lord Treasurer. Thence to
Westminster; in the way meeting many milk-maids with their garlands upon
their pails, dancing with a fiddler before them;

[On the 1st of May milkmaids used to borrow silver cups, tankards,
&c., to hang them round their milkpails, with the addition of
flowers and ribbons, which they carried upon their heads,
accompanied by a bagpipe or fiddle, and went from door to door,
dancing before the houses of their customers, in order to obtain a
small gratuity from each of them.

"In London thirty years ago,
When pretty milkmaids went about,
It was a goodly sight to see
Their May-day pageant all drawn out.

"Such scenes and sounds once blest my eyes
And charm'd my ears; but all have vanish'd,
On May-day now no garlands go,
For milkmaids and their dance are banish'd."

Hone's Every-Day Book, vol. i., pp. 569, 570.]

and saw pretty Nelly standing at her lodgings' door in Drury-lane in her
smock sleeves and bodice, looking upon one: she seemed a mighty pretty
creature. To the Hall and there walked a while, it being term. I thence
home to the Rose, and then had Doll Lane venir para me.... To my Lord
Crew's, where I found them at dinner, and among others. Mrs. Bocket,
which I have not seen a long time, and two little dirty children, and
she as idle a prating and impertinent woman as ever she was. After
dinner my Lord took me alone and walked with me, giving me an account
of the meeting of the Commissioners for Accounts, whereof he is one. How
some of the gentlemen, Garraway, Littleton, and others, did scruple at
their first coming there, being called thither to act, as Members
of Parliament, which they could not do by any authority but that of
Parliament, and therefore desired the King's direction in it, which was
sent for by my Lord Bridgewater, who brought answer, very short, that
the King expected they should obey his Commission. Then they went on,
and observed a power to be given them of administering and framing
an oath, which they thought they could not do by any power but Act of
Parliament; and the whole Commission did think fit to have the judges'
opinion in it; and so, drawing up their scruples in writing, they all
attended the King, who told them he would se