...T. Killigrew and I to talk... He tells me that he hath gone several times, eight or ten times he tells me, hence to Rome to hear good musique; so much he loves it, though he never did sing or play a note. That he hath ever endeavoured, in the last King’s time and in this, to introduce good Musique; but he never could do it, there never having been any musique here better than ballads. Nay, [he] says, “Hermitt poore and Chivy chase was all the musique we had - and yet no ordinary Fidlers get so much money as ours do here, which speaks our rudeness still." That he hath gathered nine Italians from several Courts in Christendome to come to make a concert for the King, which he doth give 200l. a year apiece to, but badly paid, and do come in the room of keeping four ridiculous Gundilows - he having got the King to put them away, and lay out money this way. And endeed, I do commend him for it, for I think it is a very noble undertaking. He doth entend to have some times of the year these Operas to be performed at the two present Theatres, since he is defeated in what he intended in Moore Fields on purpose of it. And he tells me plainly that the Citty Audience was as good as the Court - but now they are most gone. << less