At noon home to dinner; and presently my wife and I and Sir W. Penn to the King’s playhouse, where the house extraordinary full; and there was the King and Duke of York to see the new play, Queen Elizabeths Troubles, and the History of Eighty-Eight. I confess I have sucked in so much of the sad story of Queen Elizabeth from my cradle, that I was ready to weep for her sometimes. But the play is the most ridiculous that sure ever came upon the stage, and, endeed is merely a show; only, shows the true garbe of the queens in those days, just as we see Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth painted - but the play is merely a puppet-play acted by living puppets. Neither the design nor language better; and one stands by and tells us the meaning of things. Only, I was pleased to see Knipp dance among the milkmaids, and to hear her sing a song to Queen Elizabeth - and to see her come out in her nightgowne with no lockes on, but her bare face and hair only tied up in a knot behind; which is the comeliest dress that ever I saw her in to her advantage. << less