There are abundance of houses built of brick, with fine gardens and Courts, wth open gates and railes to view, wch are used as Lodgings for the Company; and now the wells are built about, and a Large Light roome to walk in brick’d, and a pump put on the well. A Coffee house and two roomes for gameing, and shops for sweetmeates and fruite. Monday morning is their day, the Company meete and then they have some Little diversion, as raceing of boys or Rabbets or Piggs. In the Evening the company meete in the Greenes, first in the upper Green many steps up, where are Gentlemen Bowling, Ladyes walking. There are Little Shopps and a gameing or danceing roome, the same man at the wells keepes it, sells Coffee there also. The Lower green is not farr off—just in the heart of the town: its a much neater green and warmer. The whole side of this is a very Large roome wth Large sashe windows to the green, wth Cusheons in the windows and seates all along. There are two hazard boards; at the End is a Milliner and China Shop, this is belonging to the Great tavern or Eateing house, and all the Length of this roome to the street ward is a Piaza wall, and a row of trees Cutt and platted together as the ffashion of the place, wth tops running up a top with heads. The Crosse in the Streete has a Good Clock.
On the hill where is the race posts they have made a ring as in Hide Parke, and they Come in Coaches and drive round, but it is only Lords day nights and some nights. There has been 40 Coaches and six which are the Gentlemen in the County round, and 20 and 2 horses. The Company in ye town Epshum shall be Clutter’d wth Company from Satturday to Tuesday and then they many times goe, being so neare London, so come againe on more Satturdays.
Ffrom Epsham I went to Banstead where the parson of the Parish has diverted himself in his garden these fifty yeares, is now old and doates, but has Curious hedges, one Garden wth Grass plotts and Earth walks Cut and wedd. His grass plotts has stones of divers fformes and sizes which he names Gods and Goddesses; and hedges and arbours of thorn soe neately Cut, and in all ffigures in great rounds. One is a Large arbour: You Enter a straite passage as unto a Cell, but within a roome, round yt by a narrow Entry you Come to a Large Square with trees and seates, all quick sett hedges cut fine. One is a tree wch the ivy has Covered and there are staires up directly upright, and on ye top is an Eight square Bench—round, the Green grows up Close about it cut even, this he Calls “Tenneriff” being in that fform. Next it is another tree, there is a fflatt and on it is a table or stoole on wch is a Great white stone in form of some statue that apole wth 9 stones round less the muses—this is Parnassus. There are severall heads painted wch are named Mogul Grand Seignior, Cham of Tartary, Zarr of Muscovy, placed in severall places. Another Garden is Grass plotts wth yews and holly Lawrells, round this on the bank is sett stones very thick, some very much bigger for officers, this is the whole Confederate army and their Generalls. Here is a trumpeter, Hercules and Bacchus and a hedge of Lawrell 7 foote broad. Here are also two trees Cover’d with Ivy and thorne Cut smooth and made in ffashion of two great pillars for Hercules pillars. There is in ye middle some platted together and makes a Cover to a seate below, and there is a Rose Cut out—you may talk as under the Rose. In his house he has many Curiosetyes of stones, one like a brick of bread, another Like a shoulder of mutton, a piece of wood from an old tree as Like a mounteer capp wth a button on the top, another like a furbellow’d peticoat, another stone like an apple paired and a piece Cut out and grown Deadish—its said this is Petrify’d into stone as the moss in Knarsborough and the wood at Apsley in Bedfordshire; here were many Shells, Birds, jndian shoes, bootes, purses &c.
Ffrom Epsham to Leatherhead 3 mile, we pass by Sr Robert Howards which I have described. Here is a little town where they make much Leather, and other little trades, many Butchers which supply Epsham. Here it is that the water which sinks away at Swallow hole at Mole under Box Hill which is 7 mile off, and here it Bubbles up in twenty places from a hill, and Compases a great river half a mile off, over which a long bridge of 14 great arches of stone by their Height shews sometimes the water to be very deep. A little farther its so deep as cannot be fforded, here the Channell is not so broad, only four Large Arches. We goe over thence a mile and halfe to Mr Moores ffine house on a hill, its built wth brick and stone Coyned, and the windows Stone, nine sashes to the Garden; the jutting out in the middle is three windows. The top is in a peak painted frisco, and a Cornish round on Each side; a low building Each End Like Wings wth same Cornish Leaded and flower potts on it, wch are the offices on one Side, and Lead to a summer House and backward to the private Entrance, a Court yt you ascend by steps of stone and jron barristers with turnings and halfe paces to the part of ye house in Constant use. The ffront in the Entrance is as the Garden, only here are but Eight windows, only two in the middle jutting the top, and that here you see not those two Low wings. You Enter by the Church yard, noe great Court or roome for it, a very Little court wch on the right hand Leads into ye garden on a banck green walke, to a seate or summer house finely painted and stands on four pillars. Within this Leads into a gravel walk wch goes round ye first Garden. The summer house you might pass through to the same green banck walk, which Leads to a broad Grass walk on the right hand up the hill near a quarter of a mile, Each side planted wth trees, and ye ground some for kitchen gardens orchards hott beds. The top of the hill has two white seates and a summer house, this has white open gates, Large as the walk. Here is a very fine pond runs across the breadth of the gardens and orchards. The Garden at the house is all flatt, much in Grass walks and bancks sett wth green, most yews. There is a great gravel walk to the fountain from the middle of the house, wch is filled by a Long Cannall as broad as the walk; at the farther End is a trion gilt, with a horn wch can blow the water 20 yards. Here are seates on the bancks, and ye ground is set much in Grass walks wth dwarfe greens, which Cutts the grass plotts into four, which are Cutt into fflower deluces and Severall Devices wth paths of Gravell, borders of mould, in which are greens of all sorts, Piramids and then round jnterchangeable. Beyond this is another space as Large, wth a round space wth a Large stone ffigure, and severall Less ffigures of brass in the little squares and strapps of grass, wch was fform’d by Cross and round gravell walks. There is two broad Gravell walks runns aslaunt like two wings from the first garden, as it were parrallel wth the Cannall, and these terminate in a wood wch has a Glide through trees Cut aslant, agreable to the walks to give the view quite to Hampton town.
Thence to Hampton Court by Kingston 6 mile, all by the park, the palace Enters just by the Thames. On the gate is Lyon, Unicorn and fflower potts, the Starre and garter and Draggon ye thistle and rose Carv’d. Here is a space where the Stables on one side and houses for suttlers for to provide for the servants. The front is in a Demy Circle—At the gates four towers of Brick. Beyond the half moone are two straite buildings in wch are gates, at the Ends two such brick towers, soe you Enter through those four towers. The guard Court on the Left goes to ye old Buildings. On the Right you enter a long paved Entry; on one side are Lodgings, at the End are Cloysters round a Court which has a Large ffountaine in Grass, and at Each Corner a painted post for balls or Statues. The grass is planted round with Lawrell and yew, ffilleroy and Cyprus, cut a round head, and a Piramid. The Cloysters Lead to the royal Staircase which is very Lofty and spacious wth arches for seates, the steps jron railes Carv’d and gilt, the wall black and gold painted wth armory like a wanscoate. Over that is Curious paintings, the twelve Cæsars, over that the banquet of the Gods, all at Length, with Ceres over ye side board wth plenty. The rooffe is angells and Cherubims, the ffront on the halfe pace is Julian and the spectre that appear’d to him, in a tent of green, the Curtain drawn soe bold as if real wth gold ffringe. Here you Enter ye guard Chamber adorn’d with pikes, Halberts, Biounetts Daggers and Pistolls and gunns, wth Bandeleers or pouches for amunition, all set in workes and ffigures about the Wanscoate, over ye Chimney Pistolls and Daggers sett like the starre in the garter. Thence you go into an anty room hung wth tapestry, thence into ye Common audience roome where was a throne and Cannopy, crimson Damaske with Gold ffringe; the form the same round the roome. Here was King Charles ye firsts Picture on horseback over the mantlepiece. All the rooffes of the roomes are Curiosly painted wth different storyes. Out of this you Enter the Grand state roome which has King Williams Picture at Length on the Mantlepiece, ffine Pictures over all doores and Carvings in wood. The throne and Cannopy here was Scarlet velvet with Rich Gold orrice and window Curtains. Thence into the dineing roome where hangs in ye middle a Chrystall Branch for Candles. Its hung with tapistry, I think its here the Queen of Bohemias Picture is over the Chimney piece—Sophia’s mother. The window Curtaines flower’d Crimson Damaske wth gold ffringe; thence the drawing roome wch has a Silver branch in the middle, and sconces and Queen Marys Picture—here is Crimson velvet. Out of this is the presence Chamber wth a Low screen across the roome to keep company off the bed wch is scarlet velvet wth gold orrice and hung wth fine tapistry. Out of ye bedchamber goes the dressing roome hung wth yellow damaske and Chaires the same. Here was the queen mother Dutchess of Yorks Picture over the Chimney, here is a doore into the private Lodgings where there is 2 bed Chambers, one Jndian Embroydery the other a mixt damaske; and Closets and antyroomes to the galleryes and backstaires.
Out of the dressing roome is the Queens Closet, the hangings, Chaires, Stooles and Screen the same, all of satten stitch done in worsteads, beasts, birds, jmages and ffruites all wrought very ffinely by Queen Mary and her maids of honour.
From thence into a Large Long gallery Wanscoated, and pictures of all the Roman warrs on one side, the other side was Large Lofty windows, two marble tables in two peers wth two great open jarrs on Each side, Each table two such; at the End the same for to put potts of orange and mirtle trees in. The window Curtaines and couches or fformes all green and white rich damaske.
Out of this into a Long gallery, plain wanscoate without any adornment, which is for people to waite in, Either of the servants of the houshold or who waites in buissness of the ordinary sort, and here are doores that Lead to the back staires and to private Lodgings. This Leads at the End into the part was design’d for the Kings side, into a noble Gallery wth Curious Pictures of ye scriptures painted by the Carthusion.
The King of Ffrance offer’d 3000 pound apiece for them, or indeed any money. Here are green and white Damaske window Curtaines and Couches as the other was. This Leads to roomes not ffinished in the same number as on the queen’s side—one is begun to be painted on the top. The sides of the walls are painted just Like pieces of tapestry here is Prince Georges picture at Length, wth his Dukall Corronet, and an Anchor as High Admirall, and thus to the other roomes, to ye guardroome and Royal Staircase as on the Queens side, but none here ffinish’d. The Leads gives a vast sight all about of the parke and gardens, the ffront of the house to the garden has four Large stone ffigures Hercules, jupiter, Mars, Neptune.