HYDE PARK 31 



Numberless entries in Pepys' Diary describe visits to 

 Hyde Park. His drives there in fine and wet weather, 

 the company he met, whether his wife looked well or was 

 in a good or ill temper, and the latest gossip the outing 

 afforded, are all noted. Many times he regrets not having 

 a coach of his own, and does not conceal the feelings of 

 wounded pride it occasioned. Once he na'fvely explains 

 that having taken his wife and a friend to the Park 

 " in a hackney," and they not in smart clothes, he " was 

 ashamed to go into the tour [Ring], but went round the 

 Park, and so, with pleasure, home." His delight when 

 he possessed a coach is unbounded. He made frequent 

 visits to the coach-builder, and watched the final coat of 

 varnish to " make it more and more yellow," and at last 

 on May Day, 1669, he describes his first appearance in 

 his own carriage : " At noon home to dinner, and there 

 find my wife extraordinary fine with her flowered tabby 

 gown that she made two years ago, now laced exceeding 

 pretty, and indeed was fine all over, and mighty earnest 

 to go ; though the day was very lowering ; and she would 

 have me put on my fine suit, which I did. And so anon, 

 we went alone through the town with our new liveries 

 of serge and the horses' manes and tails tied with red 

 ribbons, and the standards gilt with varnish, and all 

 clean, and green reines, that people did mightily look 

 upon us ; and the truth is I did not see any coach more 

 pretty, though more gay than ours, all that day . . . the 

 day being unpleasing though the Park full of Coaches, 

 but dusty, and windy, and cold, and now and then a 

 little dribbling of rain ; and what made it worse, there 

 were so many hackney coaches as spoiled the sight of the 

 gentlemen's, and so we had little pleasure. But here 

 was Mr. Batelier and his sister in a borrowed coach by 



