Pepy's Diary. 30 Mar 1667. At noon home to dinner, and thence with my wife's knowledge and leave did by coach go see the silly play of my Lady Newcastle's (age 44), called "The Humourous Lovers"; the most silly thing that ever come upon a stage. I was sick to see it, but yet would not but have seen it, that I might the better understand her. Here I spied Knipp and Betty, of the King's house, and sent Knipp oranges, but, having little money about me, did not offer to carry them abroad, which otherwise I had, I fear, been tempted to. So with Sir W. Pen (age 45) home (he being at the play also), a most summer evening, and to my office, where, among other things, a most extraordinary letter to the Duke of York (age 33) touching the want of money and the sad state of the King's service thereby, and so to supper and to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 11 Apr 1667. After dinner I to the office, where busy till evening, and then with Balty (age 27) to Sir G. Carteret's (age 57) office, and there with Mr. Fenn despatched the business of Balty's (age 27) £1500 he received for the contingencies of the fleete, whereof he received about £253 in pieces of eight at a goldsmith's there hard by, which did puzzle me and him to tell; for I could not tell the difference by sight, only by bigness, and that is not always discernible, between a whole and half-piece and quarterpiece. Having received this money I home with Balty (age 27) and it, and then abroad by coach with my wife and set her down at her father's, and I to White Hall, thinking there to have seen the Duchess of Newcastle's (age 44) coming this night to Court, to make a visit to the Queene (age 57), the King (age 36) having been with her yesterday, to make her a visit since her coming to town. The whole story of this lady is a romance, and all she do is romantick. Her footmen in velvet coats, and herself in an antique dress, as they say; and was the other day at her own play, "The Humourous Lovers"; the most ridiculous thing that ever was wrote, but yet she and her Lord mightily pleased with it; and she, at the end, made her respects to the players from her box, and did give them thanks. There is as much expectation of her coming to Court, that so people may come to see her, as if it were the Queen of Sheba; but I lost my labour, for she did not come this night.

Evelyn's Diary. 18 Apr 1667. I went to make court to the [her husband] Duke (age 74) and Duchess (age 44) of Newcastle, at their house in Clerkenwell, being newly come out of the north. They received me with great kindness, and I was much pleased with the extraordinary fanciful habit, garb, and discourse of the Duchess (age 44).

Evelyn's Diary. 25 Apr 1667. Visited again the [her husband] Duke of Newcastle (age 74), with whom I had been acquainted long before in France, where the Duchess (age 44) had obligation to my wife's (age 32) mother for her marriage there; she was sister to [her brother] Lord Lucas (age 60), and maid of honor then to the Queen-Mother (age 57); married in our chapel at Paris. My wife (age 32) being with me, the Duke (age 74) and Duchess (age 44) both would needs bring her to the very Court.

Pepy's Diary. 26 Apr 1667. This done Sir W. Batten (age 66) and I back again to London, and in the way met my Lady Newcastle (age 44) going with her coaches and footmen all in velvet: herself, whom I never saw before, as I have heard her often described, for all the town-talk is now-a-days of her extravagancies, with her velvetcap, her hair about her ears; many black patches, because of pimples about her mouth; naked-necked, without any thing about it, and a black just-au-corps. She seemed to me a very comely woman: but I hope to see more of her on Mayday. My mind is mightily of late upon a coach.

Evelyn's Diary. 27 Apr 1667. I had a great deal of discourse with his Majesty (age 36) at dinner. In the afternoon, I went again with my wife (age 32) to the Duchess of Newcastle (age 44), who received her in a kind of transport, suitable to her extravagant humor and dress, which was very singular.

Pepy's Diary. 01 May 1667. And, Lord! to have them have this, and nothing else that is correspondent, is to me one of the most ridiculous sights that ever I did see, though her present dress was well enough; but to live in the condition they do at home, and be abroad in this coach, astonishes me. When we had spent half an hour in the Park, we went out again, weary of the dust, and despairing of seeing my Lady Newcastle (age 44); and so back the same way, and to St. James's, thinking to have met my Lady Newcastle (age 44) before she got home, but we staying by the way to drink, she got home a little before us: so we lost our labours, and then home; where we find the two young ladies come home, and their patches off, I suppose Sir W. Pen (age 46) do not allow of them in his sight, and going out of town to-night, though late, to Walthamstow [Map].

Pepy's Diary. 01 May 1667. Thence Sir W. Pen (age 46) and I in his coach, Tiburne way, into the Park, where a horrid dust, and number of coaches, without pleasure or order. That which we, and almost all went for, was to see my Lady Newcastle (age 44); which we could not, she being followed and crowded upon by coaches all the way she went, that nobody could come near her; only I could see she was in a large black coach, adorned with silver instead of gold, and so white curtains, and every thing black and white, and herself in her cap, but other parts I could not make [out]. But that which I did see, and wonder at with reason, was to find Pegg Pen (age 16) in a new coach, with only her husband's (age 26) pretty sister (age 18) with her, both patched and very fine, and in much the finest coach in the park, and I think that ever I did see one or other, for neatness and richness in gold, and everything that is noble. My Baroness Castlemayne (age 26), the King (age 36), my Lord St. Albans (age 62), nor Mr. Jermyn, have so neat a coach, that ever I saw.

Pepy's Diary. 10 May 1667. Then to my Lord Treasurer's (age 60), but missed Sir Ph. Warwicke (age 57), and so back again, and drove hard towards Clerkenwell¹, thinking to have overtaken my Lady Newcastle (age 44), whom I saw before us in her coach, with 100 boys and girls running looking upon her but I could not: and so she got home before I could come up to her. But I will get a time to see her. So to the office and did more business, and then home and sang with pleasure with my wife, and to supper and so to bed.

Note 1. At Newcastle House, Clerkenwell Close, the [her husband] duke (age 74) and duchess (age 44) lived in great state. The house was divided, and let in tenements in the eighteenth century.

Evelyn's Diary. 11 May 1667. To London; dined with the [her husband] Duke of Newcastle (age 74), and sat discoursing with her Grace (age 44) in her bedchamber after dinner, till my Lord Marquis of Dorchester (age 61), with other company came in, when I went away.

Pepy's Diary. 30 May 1667. Anon comes the Duchesse (age 44) with her women attending her; among others, the Ferabosco, of whom so much talk is that her lady would bid her show her face and kill the gallants. She is indeed black, and hath good black little eyes, but otherwise but a very ordinary woman I do think, but they say sings well. The Duchesse hath been a good, comely woman; but her dress so antick, and her deportment so ordinary, that I do not like her at all, nor did I hear her say any thing that was worth hearing, but that she was full of admiration, all admiration.

Pepy's Diary. 30 May 1667. After dinner I walked to Arundell House [Map], the way very dusty, the day of meeting of the Society being changed from Wednesday to Thursday, which I knew not before, because the Wednesday is a Council-day, and several of the Council are of the Society, and would come but for their attending the King (age 37) at Council; where I find much company, indeed very much company, in expectation of the Duchesse of Newcastle (age 44), who had desired to be invited to the Society; and was, after much debate, pro and con., it seems many being against it; and we do believe the town will be full of ballads of it.

Evelyn's Diary. 30 May 1667. To London, to wait on the Duchess of Newcastle (age 44) (who was a mighty pretender to learning, poetry, and philosophy, and had in both published divers books) to the Royal Society, whither she came in great pomp, and being received by our Lord President at the door of our meeting-room, the mace, etc., carried before him, had several experiments shown to her. I conducted her Grace (age 44) to her coach, and returned home.