Oddsfish!

rd, I set out on foot to Whitehall to see the King first and the Duke afterwards, as word had been brought

tcoat below-in the new fashion-was so hung as to come down to my knees; and both coat and waistcoat had buttons all the way down the front, with silver trimming. My stockings-for the brodequins were out of fashion again now-were of a darker blue, and my shoes of strong leather, with a great rosette upon each, for buckles were not usual at this time. Then my cravat was of Flanders lace; and my Cousin Dorothy showed me how to fasten it so that the ends lay down square in front; and my hat was round with a blue favour in it upon the left side; and I wore it with what was called

e height. Of the persons of importance we saw one day the Duke of Buckingham in his coach, drawn by two white horses, with riders before and behind, pass along towards Whitehall; and a chair went by us one evening in which, it was said, was the Duchess of Portsmouth (once Madame

in the public street the Punch-show, which I think must take its origin from Pontius Pilate) their Majesties rode out-hand in hand, I heard later-through the Park Gate into the Horse-Guards, and so to Whitehall, with guards in buff

an that looked like a scholar, but was very brown with the sun, too. We could not see the Duke, for he was in his closet, with the curtains half drawn-a tribune, as we should call it in Rome. It was very sweet to me to hear mass again after my journey; and it was not less sweet to me that my Cousin Dorothy was beside me; but the crush was so

the King's laboratory, so that I might see the garden: and indeed it was very well worth seeing. There were sixteen great beds, set in the rectangle, with paved walks between; there was a stone vase on a pedestal, or a statue, in the centre of each bed, and a great sundial in the midst of them all. There were some ladies walking at the further end, beneath the two rows of trees; and the sight was a very pretty one, for the sunlight was sti

ittle courts on both sides, and my Lady Arlington's lodgings blocked his view to the river.

ad his rooms so near the river, it was said, that he might more easily meet those who came by water and take them up to His Majesty's rooms unobse

and had laid his periwig aside, so that I could see his features. He was a dark secret-looking man with his eyes set near together, and

" I said. And a

I said; "and I was bidden

ctions very particular in your regard. I am ashamed that you should find me so unre

s both plain and rich. There were three or four chairs with arms; a table, with twisted legs, on which lay a great heap of papers and a pair of candlesticks: and there was a tall light

d upon the manner I first shewed to him. I knew very well that I could bear myself with sufficient address; but sufficient address was

arvellous speed, changed his suit into one of brown velvet, with a great bl

in; but I have scarcely an hour to myself day or night. Duty treads on the heels of duty

wed again; and then, as I thought he would, he began upo

hear. I trust that His Ho

nt," I said, determined n

His Holiness la

"who gave me my letters. A poor gentleman like myself

s something of a well-bred simpleton, which was precisely w

His Majesty bef

esty once when I was a lad, as he went to dinner; and I have seen him once, o

ke of York?

uke of York in my life,

everything, that they may understand, as the saying is, which way the cat will jump, and how to jump with her, he was determined to find out all that he could. On my side, therefore, I assumed the air of a rather stupid gentlema

id presently, rising; and then he added as if

was no need of any concealme

*

how I was to behave myself to the King, and how kiss his hand and the rest. I knew very well all these thin

e him. He likes not originals over-much; or, rather, I would say-(but it m

opposite was the truth; and I understood that he still had his suspicions of

irs that led up to the King's lodgings: and these made no motion to hinder the King's page and his companion. So Eng

f the first floor he turned

Mr. Mallock, please, in this first anteroom, and I will go through. Thi

ough barely. There was a long table with chairs about it; and he led me to one of these. Then with a nod or two he passed on to a seco

lodgings, through his private library, where he kept all his clocks and wheels and such-like; for when, afte

hung upon the walls-three or four flower-pictures by Varelst; three pictures of horses and dogs by Hondius, and a couple of Dutch pictures by Hoogstraaten. Over the fireplace was a chimney-breast by Gibbons; and the ceiling was all a-sprawl with gods and goddesses, I suppose by Verrio. In the windows, which looked out on two sides, over the river and into a little court, were little tables covered with curious things, for His Majesty delighted in such ingenuities-Dutch figures in silver, clockwork, and the like, and a basket

go starve. He lived always, you would say, only for the flesh and the pride of the eyes; he was careless and selfish and ungrateful; in short, he was as dissolute as a man could be, or, rather, as dissolute as a king could be, and that is much more. Yet for all this, he was a man of an extraordinary power, if he had cared to use it. It was said of him that "he could, if he would, but tha

man, I cannot describe how he affected me with loyalty and compassion and even a kind of love, in this

crossed one over the other as he sat. The light of the window fell full upon him from one side, shewing his swarthy face, his thin close moustaches, and his heavy eyes under his arched brows-shewing above all that air of strange and lovab

allock," he said. "Welc

good news of His

does very well

s holy," said the King. "And you come

ind of gravity that ca

, "if you mean that. I am onl

e no Herod to cut off your head. But it is very kind of you

Highness immediately,

ajesty

looking after, I think. And what have y

, to make the King remember me afterwards. It appeared to me that he was trying me, as he tried all newcome

lf wholly at Your Maje

ly the other way about. Servus servorum Dei, you know.

own. Or I will sing psalms, or ditties; or I will row in a boat; or I will pl

uses, for I was a little agitated. But th

do all that," he said. "In what ar

for I knew that the King liked suc

o these things, if Your Majesty wills it so, simply t

t under him and looked at me more closely. I

now all about me, I suppose. You seem very you

five, Sir. But I a

arnestly. "And so you are a Jesuit in

at heart only, in that

rather a sheep in wo

e novice t

is chin on his hand, and was looking at me

y way that I will; and you will serve me only that you m

r Majesty can

said Charles. "Nor

our Majest

t if I k

r the halfpence

d I knew that I had pleased him. Then he stood up, and I saw that

very pleasant and satisfactory. You said you w

," I said. "Or to anyw

w the line t

ighty who has drawn it.

bserve God

At least,

ell, Mr. Mallock, I have nothing for you at present. I am a great deal too busy. The

our Majesty's command

gain and began to

and drink and see: and there are the affairs of the kingdom-I had forgot that. Well; I have no time at pres

odgings in C

ir," I said, "who has b

I shall be he

s n

Jermyn

ing n

ore I have anything more to say to His Holiness. 'He that will no

s the reunion of Christendom

r letters, which are for the public eye, are perfectly in order. Well; I will remember, Mr. Mallock. M

his hand to

compliments to my br

*

snored in his sleep