14th (Lord’s day).  Up very early, and Mr. Moore taking leave of me the barber came and trimmed me (I having him now to come to me again after I have used a pumice-stone a good while, not but what I like this where I cannot conveniently have a barber, but here I cannot keep my hair dry without one), and so by water to White Hall, by the way hearing that the Bishop of London had given a very strict order against boats going on Sundays, and as I come back again, we were examined by the masters of the company in another boat; but I told them who I was.  But the door not being open to Westminster stairs there, called in at the Legg and drank a cup of ale and a toast, which I have not done many a month before, but it served me for my two glasses of wine to-day.  Thence to St. James’s to Mr. Coventry, and there staid talking privately with him an hour in his chamber of the business of our office, and found him to admiration good and industrious, and I think my most true friend in all things that are fair.  He tells me freely his mind of every man and in every thing.  Thence to White Hall chapel, where sermon almost done, and I heard Captain Cooke’s new musique.  This the first day of having vialls and other instruments to play a symphony between every verse of the anthem; but the musique more full than it was the last Sunday, and very fine it is.

[Charles ii. determined to form his own chapel on the model of that at Versailles.  Twenty-four instrumentalists were engaged, and this was the first day upon which they were brought into requisition.  Evelyn alludes to the change in his Diary, but he puts the date down as the 21st instead of the 14th.  “Instead of the antient, grave and solemn wind musiq accompanying the organ, was introduc’d a concert of 24 violins between every pause after the French fantastical light way, better suiting a tavern or playhouse than a church.  This was the first time of change, and now we no more heard the cornet which gave life to the organ, that instrument quite left off in which the English were so skilful.”  A list of the twenty-four fiddlers in 1674, taken from an Exchequer document, “The names of the Gents of his Majesties Private Musick paid out of the Exchequer,” is printed in North’s “Memoires of Musick,” ed.  Rimbault, 1846, p. 98 (note).]

But yet I could discern Captain Cooke to overdo his part at singing, which I never did before.  Thence up into the Queen’s presence, and there saw the Queen again as I did last Sunday, and some fine ladies with her; but, my troth, not many.  Thence to Sir G. Carteret’s, and find him to have sprained his foot and is lame, but yet hath been at chappell, and my Lady much troubled for one of her daughters that is sick.  I dined with them, and a very pretty lady, their kinswoman, with them.  My joy is, that I do think I have good hold on Sir George and Mr. Coventry.  Sir George told me of a chest of drawers that were given Sir W. B. by Hughes the