to dinner, and there sang with much pleasure with my wife, and so to the
office again, and busy all the afternoon. At night Sir W. Batten, [Sir]
W. Pen, and myself, and Sir R. Ford, did meet in the garden to discourse
about our prizes at Hull. It appears that Hogg is the eeriest rogue, the
most observable embezzler, that ever was known. This vexes us, and made
us very free and plain with Sir W. Pen, who hath been his great patron,
and as very a rogue as he. But he do now seem to own that his opinion is
changed of him, and that he will joyne with us in our strictest inquiries,
and did sign to the letters we had drawn, which he had refused before, and
so seemingly parted good friends, and then I demanded of Sir R. Ford and
the rest, what passed to-day at the meeting of the Parliament: who told me
that, contrary to all expectation by the King that there would be but a
thin meeting, there met above 300 this first day, and all the discontented
party; and, indeed, the whole House seems to be no other almost. The
Speaker told them, as soon as they were sat, that he was ordered by the
King to let them know he was hindered by some important business to come
to them and speak to them, as he intended; and, therefore, ordered him to
move that they would adjourn themselves till Monday next, it being very
plain to all the House that he expects to hear by that time of the sealing
of the peace, which by letters, it seems, from my Lord Holis, was to be
sealed the last Sunday.
[The peace was signed on the 31st. See August 9th.--B.]
But before they would come to the question whether they would adjourn, Sir
Thomas Tomkins steps up and tells them, that all the country is grieved at
this new raised standing army; and that they thought themselves safe
enough in their trayn-bands; and that, therefore, he desired the King
might be moved to disband them. Then rises Garraway and seconds him, only
with this explanation, which he said he believed the other meant; that, as
soon as peace should be concluded, they might be disbanded. Then rose Sir
W. Coventry, and told them that he did approve of what the last gentleman
said; but also, that at the same time he did no more than what, he durst
be bold to say, he knew to be the King's mind, that as soon as peace was
concluded he would do it of himself. Then rose Sir Thomas Littleton, and
did give several reasons for the uncertainty of their meeting again but to
adjourne, in case news comes of the peace being ended before Monday next,
and the possibility of the King's having some about him that may endeavour
to alter his own, and the good part of his Council's advice, for the
keeping up of the land-army; and, therefore, it was fit that they did
present it to the King as their desire, that, as soon as peace was
concluded, the land-army might be laid down, and that this their request
might be carried to the King by them of their House that were
Privy-councillors; which was put to the vote, and carried 'nemine
contradicente'. So after this vote passed, they adjourned: but it is
plain what the effects of this Parliament will be, if they be suffered to
sit, that they will fall foul upon the faults of the Government; and I
pray God they may be permitted to do it, for nothing else, I fear, will
save the King and kingdom than the doing it betimes. They gone, I to walk
with my wife in the garden, and then home to supper and to bed.
26th. Up, and betimes to the office, where Mr. Hater and I together all
the morning about the perfecting of my abstract book of contracts and
other things to my great content. At noon home to dinner, and then to the
office again all the afternoon doing of other good things there, and being
tired, I then abroad with my wife and left her at the New Exchange, while
I by water thence to Westminster to the Hall, but shops were shut up, and
so to White Hall by water, and thence took up my wife at Unthanke's, and
so home, mightily tired with the dust in riding in a coach, it being
mighty troublesome. So home and to my office, and there busy very late,
and then to walk a little with my wife, and then to supper and to bed. No
news at all this day what we have done to the enemy, but that the enemy is
fallen down, and we after them, but to little purpose.
27th. Up and to the office, where I hear that Sir John Coventry is come
over from Bredah, a nephew, I think, of Sir W. Coventry's: but what
message he brings I know not. This morning news is come that Sir Jos.
Jordan is come from Harwich, with sixteen fire-ships and four other little
ships of war: and did attempt to do some execution upon the enemy, but did
it without discretion, as most do say, so as that they have been able to
do no good, but have lost four of their fire ships. They attempted
[this], it seems, when the wind was too strong, that our grapplings could
not hold: others say we come to leeward of them, but all condemn it as a
foolish management. They are come to Sir Edward Spragg about Lee, and the
Dutch are below at the Nore. At the office all the morning; and at noon
to the 'Change, where I met Fenn; and he tells me that Sir John Coventry
do bring the confirmation of the peace; but I do not find the 'Change at
all glad of it, but rather the worse, they looking upon it as a peace made
only to preserve the King for a time in his lusts and ease, and to
sacrifice trade and his kingdoms only to his own pleasures: so that the
hearts of merchants are quite down. He tells me that the King and my Lady
Castlemayne are quite broke off, and she is gone away, and is with child,
and swears the King shall own it; and she will have it christened in the
Chapel at White Hall so, and owned for the King's, as other Kings have
done; or she will bring it into White Hall gallery, and dash the brains of
it out before the King's face.
[Charles owned only four children by Lady Castlemaine-Anne, Countess
of Sussex, and the Dukes of Southampton, Grafton, and
Northumberland. The last of these was born in 1665. The paternity
of all her other children was certainly doubtful. See pp. 50,52.]
He tells me that the King and Court were never in the world so bad as they
are now for gaming, swearing, whoring, and drinking, and the most
abominable vices that ever were in the world; so that all must come to
nought. He told me that Sir G. Carteret was at this end of the town; so I
went to visit him in Broad Street; and there he and I together: and he is
mightily pleased with my Lady Jem's having a son; and a mighty glad man he
is. He [Sir George Carteret] tells me, as to news, that the peace is now
confirmed, and all that over. He says it was a very unhappy motion in the
House the other day about the land-army; for, whether the King hath a mind
of his own to do the thing desired or no, his doing it will be looked upon
as a thing done only in fear of the Parliament. He says that the Duke of
York is suspected to be the great man that is for raising of this army,
and bringing things to be commanded by an army; but he believes that he is
wronged, and says that he do know that he is wronged therein. He do say
that the Court is in a way to ruin all for their pleasures; and says that
he himself hath once taken the liberty to tell the King the necessity of
having, at least, a show of religion in the Government, and sobriety; and
that it was that, that did set up and keep up Oliver, though he was the
greatest rogue in the world, and that it is so fixed in the nature of the
common Englishman that it will not out of him. He tells me that while all
should be labouring to settle the kingdom, they are at Court all in
factions, some for and others against my Lord Chancellor, and another for
and against another man, and the King adheres to no man, but this day
delivers himself up to this, and the next to that, to the ruin of himself
and business; that he is at the command of any woman like a slave, though
he be the best man to the Queene in the world, with so much respect, and
never lies a night from her: but yet cannot command himself in the
presence of a woman he likes. Having had this discourse, I parted, and
home to dinner, and thence to the, office all the afternoon to my great
content very busy. It raining this day all day to our great joy, it
having not rained, I think, this month before, so as the ground was
everywhere so burned and dry as could be; and no travelling in the road or
streets in London, for dust. At night late home to supper and to bed.
28th (Lord's day). Up and to my chamber, where all the morning close, to
draw up a letter to Sir W. Coventry upon the tidings of peace, taking
occasion, before I am forced to it, to resign up to his Royall Highness my
place of the Victualling, and to recommend myself to him by promise of
doing my utmost to improve this peace in the best manner we may, to save
the kingdom from ruin. By noon I had done this to my good content, and
then with my wife all alone to dinner, and so to my chamber all the
afternoon to write my letter fair, and sent it away, and then to talk with
my wife, and read, and so by daylight (the only time I think I have done
it this year) to supper, and then to my chamber to read and so to bed, my
mind very much eased after what I have done to-day.