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The Diary of Samuel Pepys [277]

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Allen's feast, of his being made an Elder Brother; but he is sick, and so could not be there. Here was much good company, and very merry ; but the discourse of Scotland it seems is confirmed, and that they are 4000 of them in armes, and do declare for King and Covenant, which is very ill news. I pray God deliver us from the ill consequences we may justly fear from it. Sir Philip Warwick I find is full of trouble in his mind to see how things go, and what our wants are; and so I have no delight to trouble him with discourse, though I honour the man with all my heart, and I think him to be a very able right-honest man.

25th. To Sir G. Carteret's to dinner; where much company. Among others, Mr. Carteret and my Lady Jemimah, and Mr. Ashburnham, the great man; who is a pleasant man, and that hath seen much of the world, and more of the Court. Into the Court, and attended there till the Council met, and then was called in, and I read my letter. My Lord Treasurer declared that the King had nothing to give, till the Parliament did give him some money. So the King did of himself bid me to declare to all that would take our tallies for payment, that he should, soon as the Parliament's money do come in, take back their tallies, and give them money: which I giving him occasion to repeat to me (it coming from him against the gre, I perceive, of my Lord Treasurer,) I was content therewith and went out. All the talk of Scotland, where the highest report I perceive, runs but upon three or four hundred in armes. Here I saw Mrs. Stewart this afternoon, methought the beautifullest creature that ever I saw in my life, more than ever I thought her, so often as I have seen her and I do begin to think do exceed my Lady Castlemaine, at least now. This being St. Katherine'a day, the Queene was at masse by seven o'clock this morning; and Mr. Ashburnham do say that he never saw any one have so much zeale in his life as she hath: and (the question being asked by my Lady Carteret,) much beyond the bigotry that ever the old Queene-mother had. I spoke with Mr. May, [Hugh May.] who tells me that the design of building the City do go on apace, and by his description it will be mighty handsome, and to the satisfaction of the people; but I pray God it come not out too late. Mr. Ashburnham today, at dinner told how the rich fortune Mrs. Mallett reports of her servants; that my Lord Herbert [William Lord Herbert succeeded his father as (sixth) Earl of Pembroke, 1669. Ob, unmarried 1674.] would have her; my Lord Hinchingbroke was indifferent to have her; my Lord John Butler [Seventh son of the Duke of Ormond, created 1676 Baron of Aghrim, Viscount of Clonmore, and Earl of Gowran. Ob. 1677, s. p.] not have her; my Lord of Rochester would have forced her, and Sir -- Popham [Probably Sir Francis Popham, K.B.] (who nevertheless is likely to have her), would do any thing to have her.

26th. Into the House of Parliament, where at a great committee I did hear as long as I would the great case against my Lord Mordaunt, for some arbitrary proceedings of his against one Taylor whom he imprisoned and did all the violence to imaginable, only to get him to give way to his abusing his daughter. [John Mordaunt, younger son to the first, and brother to the second Earl of Peterborough, having incurred considerable personal risk in endeavouring to promote the King's Restoration, was in 1659, created Baron Mordaunt of Reigate, and Viscount Mordaunt of Avalon. He was soon afterwards made K.G. and constituted Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, and Constable of Windsor Castle; which offices he held till his death, in 1675. In January 1666-7, Lord Mordaunt was impeached by the House of Commons for forcibly ejecting William Tayleur and his family from the apartments which they occupied in Windsor Castle, where Tayleur held some appointment, and imprisoning him because he had presumed to offer himself as a candidate for the borough of Windsor. Lord M. was also accused of improper conduct towards Tayleur's daughter. He, however, denied all these charges in his
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