There was another malefactor to succeed, but the spectacle was so uncomfortable, that I was not able to stay the sight of another. It represented yet to me the intolerable sufferings which our Blessed Savior must needs undergo, when his body was hanging with all its weight upon the nails on the cross.
20th March, 1651. I went this night with my wife to a ball at the Marquis de Crevecoeur's, where were divers princes, dukes, and great persons; but what appeared to me very mean was, that it began with a puppet-play.
6th May, 1651. I attended the ambassador to a masque at Court, where the French King in person danced five entries, but being engaged in discourse, and better entertained with one of the Queen-Regent's secretaries, I soon left the entertainment.
11th May, 1651. To the Palace Cardinal, where the Master of the Ceremonies placed me to see the royal masque, or opera. The first scene represented a chariot of singers composed of the rarest voices that could be procured, representing Cornaro[42] and Temperance; this was overthrown by Bacchus and his revelers; the rest consisted of several entries and pageants of excess, by all the elements. A masque representing fire was admirable; then came a Venus out of the clouds. The conclusion was a heaven, whither all ascended. But the glory of the masque was the great persons performing in it, the French King, his brother the Duke of Anjou, with all the grandees of the Court, the King performing to the admiration of all. The music was twenty-nine violins, vested _à l'antique_, but the habits of the masquers were stupendously rich and glorious.
[Footnote 42: The famous Venetian writer on Temperance.]
23d May, 1651. I went to take leave of the ambassadors for Spain, which were my Lord Treasurer Cottington and Sir Edward Hyde; and, as I returned, I visited Mr. Morine's garden, and his other rarities, especially corals, minerals, stones, and natural curiosities; crabs of the Red Sea, the body no bigger than a small bird's egg, but flatter, and the two legs, or claws, a foot in length. He had abundance of shells, at least 1,000 sorts, which furnished a cabinet of great price; and had a very curious collection of scarabees and insects, of which he was compiling a natural history. He had also the pictures of his choice flowers and plants in miniature. He told me there were 10,000 sorts of tulips only. He had _taille-douces_ out of number; the head of the rhinoceros bird, which was very extravagant, and one butterfly resembling a perfect bird.