THE FIRST DUKE 



the Inn, and was contrived for the ease of the 

 suitors, as I may call them, for, instead of 2^-. 6d. 

 to his servants at taking horse, sixpence then for 

 form served the turn, and no servant of his came 

 near a gentleman's horse, but they were brought by 

 their own servants, except such as lodged, whose 

 equipages were in his own stables. 



" As for the Duke and Duchess and their friends, 

 there was no time of the day without diversion. 

 Breakfast in the gallery that opened into the 

 gardens, then perhaps a deer was to be killed, or 

 the gardens or parks with the several sorts of deer 

 to be visited, and if it required mounting, horses of 

 the Duke's were brought for all the company. And 

 so, in the afternoon, when the ladies were disposed 

 to air, and the gentlemen with them, coaches and 

 six came to hold them all. At half an hour after 

 eleven the bell rang to prayers, and at six in the 

 evening, and through a gallery the best company 

 went into an aisle in the church, so near was it, and 

 the Duke and Duchess would see if all the family 

 were there. The ordinary pastime of the ladies 

 was in a gallery on the other side, where she had 

 divers gentlewomen commonly at work upon em- 

 broidery and fringe -making, for all the beds of state 

 were made and furnished in the house. The meats 

 were neat, and not gross ; no servants in livery 

 attended but those called gentlemen only ; and in 

 the several kinds down to the small beer nothing 

 could be more choice than the table was. It was 



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