Minnes in the middle of all
his mirth, (and in a thing agreeing with his own manner of
genius) that I never saw any man so out-done in all my life; and
Sir J. Minnes's mirth too to see himself out-done, was the crown
of all our mirth. In this humour we sat till about ten at night,
and so my Lord and his mistress home, and we to bed.
13th. My Lord Brouncker, Sir J. Minnes, and I took boat, and in
my Lord's coach to Sir W. Hickes's, [Sir William Hickes, created
a baronet 1619. Ob. 1680, aged 84. His country-seat was called
Ruckholts, or Rookwood, at Layton, in Essex, where he entertained
King Charles II. after hunting.] whither by and by my Lady
Batten and Sir William comes. It is a good seat, with a fair
grove of trees by it, and the remains of a good garden; but so
let to run to ruine, both house and every thing in and about it,
so ill furnished and miserably looked after, I never did see in
all my life. Not so much as a latch to his dining-room door;
which saved him nothing, for the wind blowing into the room for
want thereof, flung down a great bow pott, that stood upon the
side-table, and that fell upon some Venice glasses, and did him a
crown's worth of hurt.
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