96 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1667 leave of the Prioress and sisters

Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"

96 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1667

leave of the Prioress and sisters, being convoyed by the English resident and
other flfriends, I went to the boat, and, with good company, gott in the evening
to Ghent ; and, haveing left orders for supper in our lodging, T went with
Charles to the Nunnes Monastery, 'and spoke with ]\Irs. Plowden and her
daughter, the Lady Abbess. Haveing stayed an howre, and taken leave, I
returned to my lodging, where, with two yong Irish men, who were to go
for Antwerp, wee made merry the most part of the night in wine.

I went early and heard mass in the Cathedrall church, and then haveing
breakfasted in our lodging, being the signe of the Great Starr, wee tooke
horse, leaving Mr, Divee, with Charles, to come with our baggage. Wee
passed through a most pleasant countrey, and, about two aclock afternoone,
came to Antwerp, ferrying over the river Shcld, and lodged at the signe of
the Bear, on the market place, where, round tlie court within, on great
. . . were painted the armes of diverse Polls, ambitious, if not vaine
glorious gentlemen, for a remembrance of their haveing been there. In the
evening, I went and visited my good friend and acquaintance, Sir WilUam
Davidson, by whom I found Myn Heer Van der Hurst, one of the States
Generall, who had fled with Mr. Kivet about the business of Ruitmaster
Buat.*

My brother in law came with the baggage, and, for reasons, permitted
them to lodge at the Wliite Hart. I did wrltt to Sir John Hebden, and to
his son, the esquire. I hired my fraught in a ship to Hamborg. Dined by
Mr. Gibson.

I tooke shipping, and, the next day, came to Enckhulsen, where, the
wind provelng contrary, I payed my fraught, and, going a shore, caused set
me over to Staveren ; for, hearing of a ballet to be held by the Queen
Christina of Schweden, at Hamborg, the fourteenth of March, I intended to
gett thither befor that tyme. So, hirelng a waggon, wee passed by Bol-
querum on our right hand to Hindlopen, from thence to Workum, to Bol-
swaert and to Leevarden, whither wee came in the morning, then to
Dockum, and to Groeningen, whither wee came in the evening, and were
very well accommodated.

In the morning, wee passed to Dam and to Delfzyl. It being a great

• [A French gentleman, settled in Holland, is told by Lord Clarendon, in the Continuation

who was beheaded at the Hague, in August, Of his own Life. Gordon alludes to it in a

1066, for entering into a clandestine corrcs- previous page. See above, p. 76]
pondencc w^ith the English court. His story