[Farthingales had gone out of fashion in England during the reign of Charles I., and therefore their use by the Portuguese ladies astonished the English.  Evelyn also remarks in his Diary on this ugly custom (May 30th, 1662).]

Many ladies and persons of quality come to see them.  I find nothing in them that is pleasing; and I see they have learnt to kiss and look freely up and down already, and I do believe will soon forget the recluse practice of their own country.  They complain much for lack of good water to drink.  So to the Wardrobe back on foot and supped with my Lady, and so home, and after a walk upon the leads with my wife, to prayers and bed.  The King’s guards and some City companies do walk up and down the town these five or six days; which makes me think, and they do say, there are some plots in laying.  God keep us.

26th.  Up by four o’clock in the morning, and fell to the preparing of some accounts for my Lord of Sandwich.  By and by, by appointment comes Mr. Moore, and, by what appears to us at present, we found that my Lord is above L7,000 in debt, and that he hath money coming into him that will clear all, and so we think him clear, but very little money in his purse.  So to my Lord’s, and after he was ready, we spent an hour with him, giving him an account thereof; and he having some L6,000 in his hands, remaining of the King’s, he is resolved to make use of that, and get off of it as well as he can, which I like well of, for else I fear he will scarce get beforehand again a great while.  Thence home, and to the Trinity House; where the Brethren (who have been at Deptford choosing a new Maister; which is Sir J. Minnes, notwithstanding Sir W. Batten did contend highly for it:  at which I am not a little pleased, because of his proud lady) about three o’clock came hither, and so to dinner.  I seated myself close by Mr. Prin, who, in discourse with me, fell upon what records he hath of the lust and wicked lives of the nuns heretofore in England, and showed me out of his pocket one wherein thirty nuns for their lust were ejected of their house, being not fit to live there, and by the Pope’s command to be put, however, into other nunnerys.  I could not stay to end dinner with them, but rose, and privately went out, and by water to my brother’s, and thence to take my wife to the Redd Bull, where we saw “Doctor Faustus,” but so wretchedly and poorly done, that we were sick of it, and the worse because by a former resolution it is to be the last play we are to see till Michaelmas.  Thence homewards by coach, through Moorefields, where we stood awhile, and saw the wrestling.  At home, got my lute upon the leads, and there played, and so to bed.

27th.  To my Lord this morning, and thence to my brother’s, where I found my father, poor man, come, which I was glad to see.  I staid with him till noon, and then he went to my cozen Scott’s to dinner, who had invited him.  He tells me his alterations of the house and garden at Brampton, which please me well.  I could not go with him, and so we parted at Ludgate, and I home to dinner, and to the office all the afternoon, and musique in my chamber alone at night, and so to bed.