Y^e water is Choake up now and y^e sea Comes not near in Severall Miles and what water they have is Called Lincoln Dike—you pass it over on a bridge. We went thence by many very ffine Seates, we pass by S^r John Brownlows and Severall others; thence to Newark 12 mile in Nottinghamshire; just by it you see a very pretty new house of brick building of the Lord Lexingtons, w^{th} the walls and towers that Looks very Well. Newark is a very neate Stone built town, the Market place is very Large and Look’d ffine; just by it is the Great Church w^{ch} is Large and with a very high Spire, there is prayers twice a day in it. There remaines the holes in the Church walls that the bullets made which were shott into the town in the Siege Laid to it by the Parliament army in the Civil warrs: the Castle was then demolish’d so y^t only the ruinated walls remaine w^{ch} is washed by a very pretty river. At this we Enter Nottinghamshire and here I met w^{th} the strongest and best Nottingham ale that Looked very pale but Exceeding Clear. Thence to Nottingham town, its 12 mile more and we ffery’d over the Trent w^{ch} in some places is so deep, but waggons and horses ffords it. I rode along 7 or 8 mile by the Trent w^{ch} is a ffine River tho’ not so broad as the Thames is at Kingston, but it look’d very pleasant to Ride by its bancks for so many miles, and on the other side was a high Ridge of hills shaded over from the top to the bottom w^{th} fine trees and this for Severall Miles. When on the other hand you see a vast bottom Called Note Vale, y^e wood belongs to one M^r Heckam. You pass by severall pretty houses by the river Side, Stone buildings, good Gardens, and a Little farther you see the Lord Kingstons house w^{ch} is Contigeous to Nottingham town, called Home Peirpoynt w^{ch} Looks finely in woods. The town of Nottingham is the neatest town I have seen, built of stone and delicate, Large and long Streetes much like London, and y^e houses Lofty and well built. The Market place is very broad, out of w^{ch} runns a very Large Streete much like Holborn but the buildings ffine, and there is a Pyaza all along one side of one of the Streetes, w^{th} Stone pillars for walking that runns the Length of the Streetes w^{ch} is a mile long. All the Streetes are of a good size all about y^e town and well pitch’d, there are severall good houses in the town. There are 3 or 4 Large houses of the Duke of New-Castles w^{th} the Castle w^{ch} is a fine thing—stands very high on a hill—and when you Come to the Castle you ascend 40 Steps to the Court and hall. The roomes are very Lofty and Large, 6 or 7 state roomes and a long gallery hung with fine Pictures of the ffamily; the wanscoate is most of Cedar. Some Roomes are hung with good tapistry. The Chamber of State is hung w^{th} very Rich tapistry so much silver and gold in it that the 3 pieces that hung the Roome Cost 1500^£: the bed was rail’d in as y^e presence Chamber used to be, y^e bed was damaske. The floore of the