anly. I was sick to see it, but was merry at some
ridiculous humours of my Lady Batten, who, as being an ill-bred woman,
would take exceptions at anything any body said, and I made good sport
at it. After dinner into the garden and wilderness, which is like the
rest of the house, nothing in order, nor looked after. By and by comes
newes that my Lady Viner was come to see Mrs. Lowther, which I was glad
of, and all the pleasure I had here was to see her, which I did, and
saluted her, and find she is pretty, though not so eminently so as
people talked of her, and of very pretty carriage and discourse. I sat
with them and her an hour talking and pleasant, and then slunk away
alone without taking leave, leaving my wife there to come home with
them, and I to Bartholomew fayre, to walk up and down; and there,
among other things, find my Lady Castlemayne at a puppet-play, "Patient
Grizill,"

[The well-known story, first told by Boccaccio, then by Petrarca,
afterwards by Chaucer, and which has since become proverbial. Tom
Warton, writing about 1770, says, "I need not mention that it is to
this day represented in England, on a stage of the lowest species,
and of the highest antiquity: I mean at a puppet show" ("Hist. of
English Poetry," sect. xv.).--B.]

and the street full of people expecting her coming out. I confess I did
wonder at her courage to come abroad, thinking the people would abuse
her; but they, silly people! do not know her work she makes, and
therefore suffered her with great respect to take coach, and she away,
without any trouble at all, which I wondered at, I confess. I only
walked up and down, and, among others, saw Tom Pepys, the turner, who
hath a shop, and I think lives in the fair when the fair is not. I
only asked how he did as he stood in the street, and so up and down
sauntering till late and then home, and there discoursed with my wife of
our bad entertainment to-day, and so to bed. I met Captain Cocke to-day
at the Council Chamber and took him with me to Westminster, who tells
me that there is yet expectation that the Chancellor will lose the Seal,
and that he is sure that the King hath said it to him who told it him,
and he fears we shall be soon broke in pieces, and assures me that there
have been high words between the Duke of York and Sir W. Coventry, for
his being so high against the Chancellor; so as the Duke of York would
not sign some papers that he brought, sayi