Evelyn's Diary. 1631. There happened now an extraordinary dearth in England, corn bearing an excessive price; and, in imitation of what I had seen my father do, I began to observe matters more punctually, which I did use to set down in a blank almanac. The Lord of Castlehaven's (age 38) arraignment for many shameful exorbitances was now all the talk, and the birth of the Princess Mary, afterward Princess of Orange.

Evelyn's Diary. On the 27 Apr 1641, came over out of Holland the young [her future husband] Prince of Orange (age 14), with a splendid equipage, to make love to his Majesty's (age 40) eldest daughter (age 9), the now Princess Royal.

In 1648 [her brother] King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland (age 17) travelled to where his sister Mary Stewart Princess Orange (age 16) and brother in law [her husband] William Orange Nassau II Prince Orange (age 21) were living at The Hague.

Before 1656 Gerrit van Honthorst (age 63). Portrait of Mary Stewart Princess Orange (age 24).

In 1656 Adriaen Hanneman (age 53). Portrait of Mary Stewart Princess Orange (age 24).

Around 1658 Adriaen Hanneman (age 55). Portrait of Mary Stewart Princess Orange (age 26).

Pepy's Diary. 14 May 1660. In the morning when I woke and rose, I saw myself out of the scuttle close by the shore, which afterwards I was told to be the Dutch shore; the Hague was clearly to be seen by us. My Lord went up in his nightgown into the cuddy¹, to see how to dispose thereof for himself and us that belong to him, to give order for our removal to-day. Some nasty Dutchmen came on board to proffer their boats to carry things from us on shore, &c., to get money by us. Before noon some gentlemen came on board from the shore to kiss my Lord's hands. And by and by Mr. North (age 24) and Dr. Clerke went to kiss the Queen of Bohemia's' hands, from my Lord, with twelve attendants from on board to wait on them, among which I sent my boy, who, like myself, is with child to see any strange thing. After noon they came back again after having kissed the [her aunt] Queen of Bohemia's (age 63) hand, and were sent again by my Lord to do the same to the [her son] Prince of Orange (age 9)².

Note 1. "A sort of cabin or cook-room, generally in the fore-part, but sometimes near the stern of lighters and barges of burden".-Smyth's Sailor's Word-Book.

Note 2. Son of the [her former husband] Prince of Orange and Mary (age 28), eldest daughter of Charles I afterwards William III He was then in his tenth year, having been born in 1650.

Evelyn's Diary. 27 Sep 1660. The King (age 30) received the merchant's addresses in his closet, giving them assurances of his persisting to keep Jamaica, choosing Sir Edward Massey Governor (age 41). In the afternoon, the Danish Ambassador's condolences were presented, on the death of the [her brother] Duke of Gloucester (deceased). This evening, I saw the Princess Royal (age 28), mother to the Prince of Orange (age 28), now come out of Holland in a fatal period.

Pepy's Diary. 20 Dec 1660. All day at home with my workmen, that I may get all done before Christmas. This day I hear that the Princess Royal (age 29) has the small pox.

Evelyn's Diary. 21 Dec 1660. This day died the Princess of Orange (age 29), of the smallpox, which entirely altered the face and gallantry of the whole Court.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Dec 1660. To my Lady's, and dined with her: she told me how dangerously ill the Princess Royal (age 29) is and that this morning she was said to be dead. But she hears that she hath married herself to young Jermyn, which is worse than the Duke of York's (age 27) marrying the Chancellor's daughter, which is now publicly owned.

Evelyn's Diary. 22 Dec 1660. The marriage of the Chancellor's (age 51) daughter (age 23) being now newly owned, I went to see her, she being Sir Richard Browne's (age 55) intimate acquaintance when she waited on the Princess of Orange (age 29); she was now at her father's, at Worcester House, in the Strand. We all kissed her hand, as did also my Lord Chamberlain (age 58) (Manchester) and Countess of Northumberland (age 37). This was a strange change-can it succeed well?-I spent the evening at St. James's, whither the [her sister] Princess Henrietta (age 16) was retired during the fatal sickness of her sister, the Princess of Orange (age 29), now come over to salute the King (age 30) her brother. The Princess (age 16) gave my wife (age 25) an extraordinary compliment and gracious acceptance, for the "Character" she had presented her the day before, and which was afterward printed.

Pepy's Diary. 24 Dec 1660. To the office again in the afternoon till night, and so home, and with the painters till 10 at night, making an end of my house and the arch before my door, and so this night I was rid of them and all other work, and my house was made ready against to-morrow being Christmas day. This day the Princess Royal (age 29) died at Whitehall.

Evelyn's Diary. 25 Dec 1660. Preached at the Abbey [Map], Dr. Earle (age 59), Clerk of his Majesty's Closet, and my dear friend, now Dean of Westminster Abbey, on Luke II 13, 14, condoling the breach made in the public joy by the lamented death of the Princess (deceased).

Evelyn's Diary. 28 Jul 1664. Came to see me Monsieur Zuylichen (age 67), Secretary to the Prince of Orange, an excellent Latin poet, a rare lutinist, with Monsieur Oudart.

Evelyn's Diary. 04 Nov 1670. Saw the [her son] Prince of Orange (age 20), newly come to see the King (age 40), his uncle; he has a manly, courageous, wise countenance, resembling his mother and the [her brother] Duke of Gloucester, both deceased.

Grammont. The queen's court was always very numerous; that of the duchess was less so, but more select. This princess had a majestic air, a pretty good shape, not much beauty, a great deal of wit, and so just a discernment of merit, that, whoever of either sex were possessed of it, were sure to be distinguished by her: an air of grandeur in all her actions made her be considered as if born to support the rank which placed her so near the throne. The [her mother] queen dowager returned after the marriage of the Princess Royal, and it was in her court that the two others met.

Grammont. The Princess Royal was the first who was taken with him: Miss Hyde seemed to be following the steps of her mistress: this immediately brought him into credit, and his reputation was established in England before his arrival. Prepossession in the minds of women is sufficient to find access to their hearts: Jermyn found them in dispositions so favourable for him, that he had nothing to do but to speak.

It was in vain they perceived that a reputation so lightly established, was still more weakly sustained: the prejudice remained: the Countess of Castlemaine, a woman lively and discerning, followed the delusive shadow; and though undeceived in a reputation which promised so much, and performed so little, she nevertheless continued in her infatuation: she even persisted in it, until she was upon the point of embroiling herself with the king; so great was this first instance of her constancy.

Grammont. The beau Sydney, less dangerous than he appeared to be, had not sufficient vivacity to support the impression which his figure made; but little Jermyn was on all sides successful in his intrigues.

The old Earl of St. Albans, his uncle, had for a long time adopted him, though the youngest of all his nephews. It is well known what a table the good man kept at Paris, while the King his master was starving at Brussels, and the [her mother] Queen Dowager, his mistress, lived not over well in France.

Jermyn, supported by his uncle's wealth, found it no difficult matter to make a considerable figure upon his arrival at the court of the Princess of Orange: the poor courtiers of the king her brother could not vie with him in point of equipage and magnificence; and these two articles often produce as much success in love as real merit: there is no necessity for any other example than the present; for though Jermyn was brave, and certainly a gentleman, yet he had neither brilliant actions, nor distinguished rank, to set him off; and as for his figure, there was nothing advantageous in it. He was little; his head was large and his legs small; his features were not disagreeable, but he was affected in his carriage and behaviour. All his wit consisted in expressions learnt by rote, which he occasionally employed either in raillery or in love. This was the whole foundation of the merit of a man so formidable in amours.

Grammont. It was in the height of the rejoicings they were making for this new queen, in all the splendour of a brilliant court, that the Chevalier de Grammont arrived to contribute to its magnificence and diversions.

Accustomed as he was to the grandeur of the court of France, he was surprised at the politeness and splendour of the court of England. The [her brother] king was inferior to none, either in shape or air; his wit was pleasant; his disposition easy and affable; his soul, susceptible of opposite impressions, was compassionate to the unhappy, inflexible to the wicked, and tender even to excess; he showed great abilities in urgent affairs, but was incapable of application to any that were not so: his heart was often the dupe, but oftener the slave, of his engagements.

The character of the [her brother] Duke of York was entirely different he had the reputation of undaunted courage, an inviolable attachment for his word, great economy in his affairs, hauteur, application, arrogance, each in their turn: a scrupulous observer of the rules of duty and the laws of justice; he was accounted a faithful friend, and an implacable enemy.

His morality and justice, struggling for some time with prejudice, had at last triumphed, by his acknowledging for his wife Miss Hyde, maid of honour to the Princess Royal, whom he had secretly married in Holland. Her father, from that time prime minister of England, supported by this new interest, soon rose to the head of affairs, and had almost ruined them: not that he wanted capacity, but he was too self-sufficient.

Grammont. The necessity of affairs had exposed [her brother] Charles II from his earliest youth to the toils and perils of a bloody war. The fate of the [her father] king his father had left him for inheritance nothing but his misfortunes and disgraces. They overtook him everywhere; but it was not until he had struggled with his ill-fortune to the last extremity that he submitted to the decrees of Providence.

All those who were either great on account of their birth or their loyalty had followed him into exile; and all the young persons of the greatest distinction having afterwards joined him, composed a court worthy of a better fate.

Plenty and prosperity, which are thought to tend only to corrupt manners, found nothing to spoil in an indigent and wandering court. Necessity, on the contrary, which produces a thousand advantages whether we will or no, served them for education; and nothing was to be seen among them but an emulation in glory, politeness, and virtue.

With this little court, in such high esteem for merit, the King of England returned two years prior to the period we mention, to ascend a throne which, to all appearances, he was to fill as worthily as the most glorious of his predecessors. The magnificence displayed on thus occasion was renewed at his coronation.

The death of the [her brother] Duke of Gloucester, and of the Princess Royal, which followed soon after, had interrupted the course of this splendour by a tedious mourning, which they quitted at last to prepare for the reception of the Infanta of Portugal.