24th.  Up and to Sir G. Carteret’s lodgings at Mrs. Stephens’s, where we keep our table all the time we are here.  Thence all of us to the Pay-house; but the books not being ready, we went to church to the lecture, where there was my Lord Ormond and Manchester, and much London company, though not so much as I expected.  Here we had a very good sermon upon this text:  “In love serving one another;” which pleased me very well.  No news of the Queen at all.  So to dinner; and then to the Pay all the afternoon.  Then W. Pen and I walked to the King’s Yard, and there lay at Mr. Tippets’s, where exceeding well treated.

25th.  All the morning at Portsmouth, at the Pay, and then to dinner, and again to the Pay; and at night got the Doctor to go lie with me, and much pleased with his company; but I was much troubled in my eyes, by reason of the healths I have this day been forced to drink.

26th.  Sir George’ and I, and his clerk Mr. Stephens, and Mr. Holt our guide, over to Gosport; and so rode to Southampton.  In our way, besides my Lord Southampton’s’ parks and lands, which in one view we could see L6,000 per annum, we observed a little church-yard, where the graves are accustomed to be all sowed with sage.

[Gough says, “It is the custom at this day all over Wales to strew the graves, both within and without the church, with green herbs, branches of box, flowers, rushes, and flags, for one year, after which such as can afford it lay down a stone.”—­Brand’s Popular Antiquities, edited W. C. Hazlitt, vol. ii., p. 218.]

At Southampton we went to the Mayor’s and there dined, and had sturgeon of their own catching the last week, which do not happen in twenty years, and it was well ordered.  They brought us also some caveare, which I attempted to order, but all to no purpose, for they had neither given it salt enough, nor are the seedes of the roe broke, but are all in berryes.  The towne is one most gallant street, and is walled round with stone, &c., and Bevis’s picture upon one of the gates; many old walls of religious houses, and the key, well worth seeing.  After dinner to horse again, being in nothing troubled but the badness of my hat, which I borrowed to save my beaver.  Home by night and wrote letters to London, and so with Sir W. Pen to the Dock to bed.

27th (Sunday).  Sir W. Pen got trimmed before me, and so took the coach to Portsmouth to wait on my Lord Steward to church, and sent the coach for me back again.  So I rode to church, and met my Lord Chamberlain upon the walls of the garrison, who owned and spoke to me.  I followed him in the crowd of gallants through the Queen’s lodgings to chappell; the rooms being all rarely furnished, and escaped hardly being set on fire yesterday.  At chappell we had a most excellent and eloquent sermon.  And here I spoke and saluted Mrs. Pierce, but being in haste could not learn of her where her lodgings are, which vexes me.  Thence took Ned Pickering to dinner with us, and the two Marshes, father and Son, dined with us, and very merry.  After dinner Sir W. Batten and I, the Doctor, and Ned Pickering by coach to the Yard, and there on board the Swallow in the dock hear our navy chaplain preach a sad sermon, full of nonsense and false Latin; but prayed for the Right Honourable the principal officers.