about nine o'clock in the evening
This , however , Charles had flatly refused to countenance ; and , when he thought of it , now and again , shewed her a sort of compassionate kindness , in spite of his distaste for her company . Yet his very compassionateness proved his distaste . It was on occasion of a reception by Her Majesty of some Moorish deputation or embassage from Tangier , that I was present in her apartments ; and it was immediately after this , too -- -LRB- so that I have good cause to remember it -RRB- -- that the first completely unexpected reverse came to my fortunes . I arrived at Her Majesty 's lodgings about nine o'clock in the evening ; and was pleased to see that the Yeomen of the Guard lined the staircase up to the great gallery . This was an honour which the Queen did not very often enjoy ; and very fine they looked in their scarlet and gold , with their halberds , all the way up from the bottom to the top . The Great Gallery , when I came into it , was tolerably full of people , of whom I spoke to a good number , among whom again were Sir Charles Sedley and my Lord Dorset , as usual inseparable . But I was very much astonished at the manner in which the Moors were treated , for they were seated on couches , on one side of the state under which Her Majesty sat , as if they were some kind of raree-show , set there to be looked at .