248 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.
room, everybody but the ladies in waiting and my Lord Chamberlain was keept out of that appartment ; but when the Queen goes in her chair 'tis my business to be there, so I saw
my Lord Chamberlain come in with P Eugene alone and
go into the dressing room, and after staying 2 or 3 minutes he came out with the Sword the Queen had given him in his hand, and then pull'd off his own Sword and gave it to a page of the back stairs that stood at his elbow, and put on t'other.
There was better order keept this birthday then ever I saw, at night the Guards were doubled, some people affirm there was no accation for't, but only to show their diligence and over and above care, and to cast an odium upon some people, but other people that pretent to know more say 'twas no work of supperrogation but what was absolutely necessary.
'Twas talk't of as if the Duke of M intended to make
a ball that night at his house, but when he found how it was took as a sort of vying with the Court, he let it alone, but the Dutchess of Marlborough did send to several Ladies to invite them to a danceing a friday night. T know some ladies she invited, but that morning there was papers cry'd about the Street as representing it a design to sett up for themselves, that there was several people that had made cloath for that day that had not for the birthday ; so they put off their Ball but sent to all the Ladies they had invited there wou'd be no danceing but that the Dutchess wou'd be at home, and shou'd be glad to see any of them that wou'd come. The Queen was at the house a Saturday and past three publick Bills and
my Lord Gore's, P E was in the house and all the
lords had their robs on ; and there I saw the Scotch Lords, who has given out they will go to the house no more, and they say they went then purely out of respect to the Queen. In the Private cause between lord Moon and Duke Hambleton there was none of them there, the votes were equal, so proxys being called for Lord Moon cried it by 3. Yesterday I hear most of them was in the house and there was a great debate whether the Scotchs shou'd be heard by Counsil before the Bill for tolleration of Epicopacy be read, wch is sent up by the house of commons ; 'twas carried that counsel shou'd be
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