"MR. .PEPYS" AT HAMPSTEAD .
Lord's Day (bid one).
Arm so, still glorying in the greatness of our Will, from Oxford to London by the King's Roade which is mightily up-heaved by the recent rising of the waters. Lay at Maiden Head for supper and monstrously o'ere.harged by the Host. Scolded Meg for her thin silken apparel but Lord ! she was ever a
wench for pretty things: To the 'EVeryinati PlayhOuse now
. . ,
under new Comptrollers to whom all the Town wishes success. God be praised for the new coating of paint and the green curtains so that the quality can enjoy themselves and no longer whisper in a dark barn fit only for conspiracies. A pretty trifle of comedy with Musick, daintily served and vastly diverting ; witty withal but of no great import. Mr. Clifford Bax and his musician, Mr. Martin Shaw would tell us of one Pepys, clerk to the Navy Office and a Diarist. Lord I how full the world grows- of such. This Pepys, a sly, gay fellow for ever pursuing the ladies (as is the habit of the Navy Office) even into the robing chamber of Nelly, the Royal Favourite. This the more to his Shame for Mrs. Pepys was of so tender and faithful a disposition that she had perforce console her loneliness with a dancing-master (as is the habit, in our day, of tender and faithful wives) yet all ends happily enough with jigging at Bartholemew's Fair. The piece was passing well played. Some pretty wenches caught my eye so that Meg did pull me by the coat-tails. I would especially commend Mr. Le Feuvre for his dancing-master, Mrs. Margot Sieveking for her lovable Mrs. Pepys, and Mr. Baskomb for his serving-man. And so to bed, marvellingly greatly at the greed of Criticks who run from playhouse to playhouse after guineas instead of sitting by the fireside.
Item : Payment received this day from the Spectator Journal. Was ever clerk so ill-rewarded ? E. S. A.
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