nder a state, with their
gentlemen and ladies standing behind them; and the Spaniards, with the
King's other guests at a table that ran down the middle of the hall, yet
close enough at the upper end for the Ambassador and the King to speak
together. My Lord Shaftesbury was there; and it was strange to see him,
I knowing how much he was privately under His Majesty's displeasure, and
Prince Rupert, very fat and pale and stupid; and Sir Thomas Killigrew
and a score of others. His Majesty was served by the Lords and
pensioners; and the rest by pages and the like, and gentlemen. About the
middle of the dinner toasts were drunk--and first of all His Majesty's,
and the trumpets sounded and the music played, all standing, and when
they were sat down again I heard the guns shot off at the Tower; and I
thought of him who lay there, and how he heard them near at hand, and
how he might have been here, supping with the Spaniards, had he not
fallen under the popular displeasure on account of his religion. It was
a wonderful thing to see the toast drunk, all that company standing upon
its feet, and shouting.

When the banquet came in, and the French wines, a very curious scene of
disorder presently began--these gentlemen flinging the dessert about
and at one another, for they were beginning to be a little drunk: and I
saw Killigrew fling a bunch of raisins at one of the Spaniards, in
sport. His Majesty sat smiling throughout, not at all displeased; but
not drunk at all himself; and indeed he seldom or never drank to excess
nor gamed to excess, though he loved to see others do so.

At the end, when all was finished, a choir under the direction of the
King's Master of Music sang a piece very sweetly from the gallery, with
the wind music sounding softly; but no one paid the least attention; and
then we all stood up again, such as had seats on the scaffolds, to see
Their Majesties go out. But such a scene as it all was, when the fruit
and sweetmeats were flung about would not have been tolerated in Rome,
nor, I think in any Court in Europe.

The next morning, very early, James and I set out for Hare Street.

* * * * *

Now the determination had been forming in my mind for some weeks past,
that I would delay no longer in that which lay nearer to my heart by
now, I think, than all politics or missions or anything else; and that
was to ask my Cousin Dolly if she would have me or no; and all the way
down to