Private Expenses of Charles II
Malone, the well-known editor of Shakespeare, possessed a curious volume—an account of the privy expenses of Charles II., kept by Baptist May. A few extracts from Malone’s transcripts are here subjoined:—
| £ | s. | d. | |
| My Lord St. Alban’s bill, | 1,746 | 18 | 11 |
| Lady Castlemaine’s debts, | 1,116 | 1 | 0 |
| For grinding cocoanuts, | 5 | 8 | 0 |
| Paid Lady C, play-money, | 300 | 0 | 0 |
| For a band of music, | 50 | 0 | 0 |
| For a receipt for chocolate | 227 | 0 | 0 |
| Lady C, play-money, | 300 | 0 | 0 |
| Mr. Knight, for bleeding the king, | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Mr. Price, for milking the asses, | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Lady C, play-money, | 300 | 0 | 0 |
| To one that showed tumbler’s tricks, | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| For weighing the King, | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| The Queen’s allowance, | 1,250 | 0 | 0 |
| Lost by the King at play on twelfth-night, | 220 | 0 | 0 |
| Nell Gwyn, | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| For 3,685 ribbons for healing, | 107 | 10 | 4 |
| Lord Landerdale, for ballads, | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Paid what was borrowed for the Countess of Castlemaine, | 1,650 | 0 | 0 |