1692, Aug. 18. Last Sunday a Jew, lately turned Christian, of fifty years of age, was christened in the new chapel near St. James's.

Sept. 8. At two this afternoon happened here a small earthquake, which was sensibly felt through the city and suburbs, lasted about half a minute, shook the houses, and frighted many people, but no hurt done.

Nov. 19. Yesterday being a great fog, several robberies were committed, particularly between London and Kensington; and a gentleman crossing St. James's Square about noon had two pistols clapt to his breast and robbed of three pounds, though near other persons.

Dec. 1. Witney, the notorious highwayman, offers to bring in eighty stout men of his gang to the King's service, if he may have his pardon.

1693, Jan. 3. Capt. Blood, an officer in Col. Fowke's regiment, and son to him that stole the crown, is seized at Portsmouth, and accused by the boy to be one of those that robbed the mail going thither.

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Jan. 7. Yesterday the King hunted on Putney Heath, and was present at a great ball at Kensington, where at night he played off two hundred guineas, according to custom.

Jan. 19. This day a person in a leather apron rushed into the House of Commons, and was making up to the chair, but the sergeant stopped him and took him away.

Ap. 27. A person was this day convicted at the Session's House for sacrilege, rape, burglary, murder, and robbing on the highway; all committed in twelve hours' time.

July 25. A mandamus is sealed and sent to Dr. Gower, master of St. John's College, Cambridge, to turn out twenty Fellows of that college refusing to take the oaths.

Aug. 19. On Thursday last Dr. Titus Oates was married to one Mrs. Wells, a young gentlewoman in the city worth £2,000. Aug. 31. Tuesday, Mr. Thomas Browne, author of a paper called the "Salamanca Wedding," which severely reflects on Dr. Oates' marriage, was taken into custody for the same, but is since bailed.

Sept. 16. Dr. Oates' wife yesterday kissed the Queen's hand. Sept. 23. This morning a rainbow seen in the firmament with two ends standing up.

1694, Ap. 10. A duel was yesterday fought between one Mr. Lawes and Mr. Wilson in Bloomsbury Square; the latter was killed

upon the spot and the other is sent to Newgate; 'tis that Mr. Wilson who for some years past hath made a great figure, living at the rate of £4,000 per ann. without any visible estate; and the several gentlemen who kept his company and endeavoured to find out his way of living could never effect it. 1694, July 17. This day was published their Majesties' proclamation concerning colours to be worn on board ships, prohibiting other than the King's ships to wear their Majesties' Jack called the Union Jack.

Dec. 29. Yesterday, about one in the morning, Her Majesty departed this life at Kensington; the King is mightily afflicted thereat, and the whole Court, as also this city, and impossible to express the general grief upon this occasion.

1695, Feb. 5. Mr. Congreve having published in print a poem upon the Queen, His Majesty hath ordered him 100 guineas for the

same.

Dec. 17. Dr. Oates is ordered to be prosecuted in the Spiritual
Court for striking Mr. Green, chaplain to the Archbishop of
Canterbury.

1696, Feb. 22. A patent is ordered to pass the seals granting to the Duke of Ormond the sole benefit of coining halfpence and farthings in Ireland.

Mar. 12. Charnock, King, and Keyes were yesterday tried for high treason in conspiring to assassinate His Majesty; the witnesses against them were Porter, Pendergrasse, Boyse, Bertrain, and La Rue, whose evidence was very full. Porter deposed that Charnock told him Sir George Barclay and others had brought a commission from King James signed with his own hand for the doing it and Sir William Parkins had read it that they had several consults before they could fix where this tragedy should be acted, and at length agreed upon the end of a lane by Turnham Green on the King's. return from Richmond, Feb. 22, by forty-five persons on horseback, to be divided into two parties, the greater by Sir George Barclay and the lesser by Porter, to murder the King. The prisoners said little in their own defence, insisting chiefly upon some niceties in law; and the jury, in a quarter of an hour after going from the bar, returned bringing them all in guilty; after which sentence of death passed upon them. 1696, June 4. A great cock match is now fighting at Oxford betwixt the London and Shropshire gamesters, where will be twenty matches, at ten guineas each, and one at a hundred.

1696, Dec. 8. The Princess of Denmark is ill of convulsion fits. 1667, Feb. 6. This being the Princess of Denmark's birthday, His Majesty ordered the play of "Love for Love" to be acted at Whitehall; and at night Her Highness entertains the King with a ball at St. James's.

Mar. 20. Dr. Blackmore having written a poem called "King Arthur," and dedicated it to the King, His Majesty hath conferred the honour of knighthood upon him.

June 29. A French privateer has seized Mr. Winstanley, the engineer, together with his workmen, as they were erecting a lighthouse at Eddystone rock,' off Plymouth, and carried him to France, destroyed his work, but left his men behind them. ,, Aug. 24. The Lord Mayor has published an order forbidding all unlawful gaming, excess in drinking, swearing, cursing, &c. in Bartholomew Fair.2

...

1697, Sept. 4. The Czar [Peter the Great] is still at Amsterdam busying himself among the ship carpenters and blacksmiths working in the docks and is very inquisitive about navigation. . . . he uses all means to prevent being known by the common people, has lodged several nights with a blacksmith who formerly lived at Moscow, with whom he converses freely; his usual disguise is a Dutch seaman's habit, and his attendance seldom above two persons.

Sept. 30. The roads near this city are much infested by highwaymen.

Oct. 2. On Wednesday the Lord Cutts took a view of the battalion of Foot Guards and discharged several who were of low stature.

Oct. 28. Yesterday being appointed by the States General for a thanksgiving for the peace,3 the Dutch ambassador here made a very noble bonfire before his house in St. James's Square, consisting of about 140 pitch barrels placed pyramidically on seven scaffolds, during which the trumpets sounded and two hogsheads of wine were kept running continually amongst the common people.

This was the first of the lighthouses erected on the rock.

2 Of the three fairs beloved by the cockney and roughs of this date- Bartholomew, May Fair, and Southwark-Bartholomew was the loosest and most riotous.

This was the peace of Ryswick, which ended the war which had begun in 1688 with France against Holland, Germany, Spain, and England. From this diary we learn that the fireworks let off in St. James's Square on the day of the rejoicing alone cost £10,000.

1698, Jan. 11. Yesterday the Czar of Muscovy was brought from Greenwich in His Majesty's barge and at present lies incognito

at a house joining to the water side in Norfolk Street [Strand]; he cares not to be seen, and when he came out of Admiral Mitchell's ship which brought him over he caused all the seamen to go under deck.

Feb. 12. This day one Hopkins was, by order of the Lord Chief Justice Holt, shown to all the courts in Westminster Hall, with a paper on his forehead, signifying that on seeing the King and Queen's pictures he said they had been here seven years as a plague to this nation.

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Mar. 22. The Commons yesterday divided about a clause in the Bill against profaneness relating to the Jews who deny Jesus Christ; 144 were for it and 78 against it so the clause was added that the Jews shall not be molested. May 12. The Justices of Middlesex did not only present the playhouses but also . . . . that women frequenting the playhouses in masks tended much to debauchery and immorality. Here is a "Bradlaugh incident" :—

1699, Jan. 7. Yesterday Mr. Archdale the Quaker appeared in his place in the House of Commons as member for Wickham ; said he was chose by the majority of the Church of England without his own seeking; and that he had advice of lawyers that his affirmation would stand good instead of an oath, which he could not take without prejudicing his party after some debate the lawyers in the House were of opinion he could not sit without the oaths, for that the Act that relates to the solemn affirmation is only that a Quaker may give evidence in Courts of Justice; upon which a writ was ordered out for electing another in his room.

Mar. 21. A whale sixty-five foot long was taken at the buoy of the Nore and is brought to Blackwall.

May 16. Yesterday a large sturgeon was taken in the Thames near Hammersmith and presented to the King.

Oct. 26. A nunnery being lately discovered at Hammersmith, His Majesty has appointed an inquisition in order to find out and seize the lands that supported it.

Masks were at this date the substitute for the veil of the present day. Ladies rode in them, walked in the gardens in them, listened to concerts in them, and went to the theatres, to hide their blushes, in them. However, they were rapidly going out of fashion, and giving place to the commode or headdress. During the next reign only the half-world wore masks at the playhouses,

1669, Nov. 18. This day the King went to Hampton Court where he will stay till Wednesday, and dined with Mr. Medina, a rich Jew, at Richmond.

Nov. 25. This day the strong Kentish man was shown at the playhouse in Dorset Gardens', where he drew against a horse and lifted twenty hundred weight; the boxes ten shillings a piece and the pit five shillings.

1700, Aug. 13. We hear the Princess [of Denmark] has bought the Lord Godolphin's house and gardens near Windsor situate between the Castle and the forest; and that Her Highness has ordered the day on which the Duke of Gloucester [her only child] died to be annually kept as a day of mourning in the family.

How numerous would be the offenders if the following investigation were now to take place!

1700, Sept. 14. Yesterday the Duke of Norfolk held a Court of chivalry, and several persons are to be tried for taking coats. of arms which do not belong to them.

Nov. 26. The Lord Chamberlain has ordered that no women masked shall be permitted to come into the playhouse.

ALEX. CHARLES EWALD.

1 Dorset Gardens Theatre was in Salisbury Court, Salisbury Square, Fleet Street. At this date it had fallen from its status as a theatre and was like an inferior music hall of the present day.