to be a much more ordinary woman than ever I durst have thought she was;
and, indeed, is not so pretty as Mrs. Stewart, whom I saw there also.
“May 1, 1667. Thence Sir W. Pen and I in his coach, Tiburne way, into
the Park, where a horrid dust, and number of coaches, without pleasure, or
order. That which we, and almost all went for, was to see my Lady
Newcastle; which we could not, she being followed and crowded upon by
coaches all the way she went, so that nobody could come near her: only I
could see she was in a large black coach, adorned with silver instead of
gold, and so white curtains, and everything black and white, and herself in
her Cap. But that which I did see, and wonder at with reason, was to find
Peg Pew in a new coach, with only her husband’s pretty sister with her, both
patched and very fine, and in much the finest coach in the park, and I think
that ever I did see one or other, for neatness and richness in gold and
everything that is noble. My Lady Castlemaine, the King, My Lord St.
Alban’s, Mr. Jermyn, have not so neat a coach that ever I saw. And, Lord! to
have them have this, and nothing else that is correspondent, is, to me, one
of the most ridiculous sights that ever I did see, though her present dress
was well enough; but to live in the condition they do at home, and be
abroad in this coach astonishes me.
“March 27, 1668. To the Exchange a turn or two, only to show myself,
and then home to dinner, where my wife and I had a small squabble, but I
first this day tried the effect of my silence, and not provoking her when she
is in an ill-humour, and do find it very good, for it prevents its coming to
that height on both sides, which used to exceed what was fit between us. So
she became calm, by and by, and fond, and so took coach to Hide Park,
where many Coaches, but the dust so great that it was troublesome.
“March 31, 1668. So took up my wife and Deb., and to the Park, where,
being in a hackney, and they undressed, was ashamed to go into the tour,
but went round the Park, and so, with pleasure, home.
“July 10, 1668. Thence in the evening, with my people in a glass
hackney-coach to the park, but was ashamed to be seen. So to the lodge,
and drank milk, and so home.”
But it was not for long that his pride was to be thus hurt, for he started a
coach of his own, which came home on the 28th Nov., 1668, and which
must have been a very gorgeous turn-out, if we can believe a description of
it in a pamphlet called Plain Truth, or a Private Discourse between P(epys)