22nd. This evening come Mr. Alsopp the King's brewer, with whom
I spent an hour talking and bewailing the posture of things at
present; the King led away by half-a-dozen men, that none of his
serious servants and friends can come at him. These are
Lauderdale, Buckingham, Hamilton, FitzHarding, (to whom he hath,
it seems, given 12,000l. per annum in the best part of the King's
estate); and that the old Duke of Buckingham could never get of
the King. Projers is another, [Edward Progers, Esq., the King's
Valet-de-Chambre, and the confidant of his amours. Ob. 1713,
aged ninety-six.] and Sir H. Bennett. He loves not the Queene
at all, but is rather sullen to her; and she, by all reports,
incapable of children. He is so fond of the Duke of Monmouth,
that every body admires it; and he says that the Duke hath said,
that he would be the death of any man that says the King was not
married to his mother: though Alsopp says, it is well known that
she was a common strumpet before the King was acquainted with
her. But it seems, he says, that the King is mighty kind to
these his bastard children; and at this day will go at midnight
to my Lady Castlemaine's nurses, and take the child and dance it
in his arms: that he is not likely to have his tables up again
in his house, for the crew that are about him will not have him
come to common view again, but keep him obscurely among
themselves.
Pages:
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601