28th. To Westminster, where I spent the morning at the Lords'

House door to hear the conference between the two Houses about my

Lord Mordaunt, of which there was great expectation. Many

hundreds of people coming to hear it. But when they come, the

Lords did insist upon my Lord Mordaunt's having leave to sit upon

a stool uncovered within their barr, and that he should have

counsel, which the Commons would not suffer, but desired leave to

report their Lordships' resolution to the House of Commons; and

so parted for this day, which troubles me, I having by this means

lost the whole day. Here I hear from Mr. Hayes that Prince

Rupert is very bad still, and so bad that he do now yield to be

trepanned. After supper and reading a little, and my wife's

cutting off my hair short, which is grown too long upon my crown

of my head, I to bed.

FEBRUARY 2, 1666-7. I am very well pleased this night with

reading a poem I brought home with me last night from Westminster

Hall, of Dryden's, upon the present war; a very good poem.

3rd. To White Hall, and there to Sir W. Coventry's chamber, and

there staid till he was ready. Talking, and among other things

of the Prince's being trepanned, which was in doing just as we

passed through the Stone Gallery, we asking at the door of his

lodgings, and were told so. We are full of wishes for the good

success; though I dare say but few do really concern ourselves

for him in our hearts. With others into the House, and there

hear that the work is done to the Prince in a few minutes without

any pain at all to him, he not knowing when it was done. It was

performed by Moulins. Having cut the outward table, as they call

it, they find the inner all corrupted, so as it come out without

any force; and their fear is, that the whole inside of his head

is corrupted like that, which do yet make them afraid of him; but

no ill accident appeared in the doing of the thing, but all with

all imaginable success, as Sir Alexander Frazier did tell me

himself, I asking him, who is very kind to me. To Sir G.

Carteret's to dinner; and before dinner he tells me that he

believes the Duke of York will go to sea with the fleet, which I

am sorry for in respect to his person, but yet there is no person

in condition to command the fleet, now the Captains are grown so

great, but him. By and by to dinner, where very good company.

Among other discourse, we talked much of Nostradamus [Michael

Nostradamus, a physician and astrologer, born in the diocese of

Avignon, 1503. Amongst other predictions he prophesied the death

of Henry II. of France, by which the celebrity he had before

acquired was not a little increased. He succeeded also in

rendering assistance to the inhabitants of Aix, during the

plague, by a powder of his own invention. He died at Salon, July

1566.] his prophecy of these times, and the burning of the City

of London, some of whose verses are put into Booker's Almanack

this year: [John Booker, an eminent astrologer and writing-

master at Hadley.] and Sir G. Carteret did tell a story, how at

his death he did make the town swear that he should never be dug

up, or his tomb opened, after he was buried; but they did after

sixty years do it, and upon his breast they found a plate of

brasse, saying what a wicked and unfaithful people the people of

that place were, who after so many vows should disturb and open

him such a day and year and hour which, if true, is very strange.

Then we fell to talk of the burning of the City. And my Lady

Carteret herself did tell us how abundance of pieces of burnt

papers were cast by the wind as far as Cranborne; and among

others she took up one, or had one brought her to see, which was

a little bit of paper that had been printed, whereon there

remained no more nor less than these words: "Time is, it is

done." Away home, and received some letters from Sir W.

Coventry, touching the want of victuals to Kempthorne's fleet

going to the Streights and now in the Downes: which did trouble

me, he saying that this disappointment might prove fatal; and the

more, because Sir W. Coventry do intend to come to the office

upon business to-morrow morning, and I shall not know what answer

to give him. [John Kempthorne, a distinguished Naval Officer,

afterwards knighted and made Commissioner at Portsmouth, which

place he represented in Parliament. Ob. 1679. Vide some curious

letters about his election in the Correspondence.]

4th. When Sir W. Coventry did come, and the rest met, I did

appear uuconcerned, and did give him answer pretty satisfactory

what he asked me; so that I did get off this meeting without any

ground lost. Soon as dined, my wife and I out to the Duke's

playhouse, and there saw "Heraclius," [A tragedy, by Lodowick

Carlell, taken from Corneille.] an excellent play, to my

extraordinary content; and the more from the house being very

full, and great company; among others Mrs. Stewart, very fine,

with her locks done up with puffes, as my wife calls them: and

several other great ladies had their hair so, though I do not

like it; but my wife do mightily; but it is only because she sees

it is the fashion. Here I saw my Lord Rochester and his lady,

Mrs. Mallett, who hath after all this ado married him; and, as I

hear some say in the pit, it is a great act of charity, for he

hath no estate. But it was so pleasant to see how every body

rose up when my Lord John Butler, the Duke of 0rmond's son, come

into the pit towards the end of the play, who was a servant to

Mrs. Mallett, and now smiled upon her, and she on him. Home, and

to my chamber, and there finished my Catalogue of my books with

my own-hand.

5th. Heard this morning that the Prince is much better, and hath

good rest. All the talk is that my Lord Sandwich hath perfected

the peace with Spain; which is very good, if true. Sir H.

Cholmly was with me this morning, and told me of my Lord

Bellasses' base dealings with him by getting him to give him

great gratuities to near 2000l. for his friendship in the

business of the Molle, and hath been lately underhand

endeavouring to bring another man into his place as Governor, so

as to receive his money of Sir H. Cholmly for nothing. To the

King's house to see "The Chances." [A comedy, by the Duke of

Buckingham.], a good play I find it, and the actors most good in

it. and pretty to hear Knipp sing in the play very properly,

"All night I weepe;" and sung it admirably. The whole play

pleases me well: and most of all, the sight of many fine ladies;

among others my Lady Castlemaine and Mrs. Middleton: the latter

of the two hath also a very excellent face and body, I think.

And so home in the dark over the ruins with a link.

6th. To Westminster Hall, and walked up and down, and hear that

the Prince do still rest well by day and night, and out of pain;

so as great hopes are conceived of him; though I did meet Dr.

Clerke and Mr. Pierce, and they do say: they believe he will not

recover it, they supposing that his whole head within is eaten by

this corruption, which appeared in this piece of the inner table.

To White Hall to attend the Council; but they sat not to-day. So

to Sir W. Coventry's chamber, and find him within, and with a

letter from the Downes in his hands, telling the loss of the St.

Patricke coming from Harwich in her way to Portsmouth; and would

needs chase two ships (she having the Malago fireship in company)

which from English colours put up Dutch, and he would clap on

board the Vice-Admirall; and after long dispute the Admirall

comes on the other side of him, and both together took her. Our

fireship (Seely) not coming in to fire all three, but come away,

leaving her in their possession, and carried away by them: a

ship built at Bristoll the last year, of fifty guns and upwards,

and a most excellent good ship.

8th. Sir W. Batten come this morning from the House, where the

King hath prorogued this Parliament to October next. I am glad

they are up. The Bill for Accounts was not offered, the party

being willing to let it fall; but the King did tell them he

expected it. They are parted with great heart-burnings, one

party against the other. Pray God bring them hereafter together

in better temper! It is said that the King do intend himself in

this interval to take away Lord Mordaunt's government [Windsor

Castle.], so as to do something to appease the House against

they come together, and let them see he will do that of his own

accord which is fit without their forcing him; and that he will

have his Commission for accounts go on: which will be good

things. At dinner we talked much of Cromwell; all saying he was

a brave fellow, and did owe his crowne he got to himself as much

as any man that ever got one.

9th. Read a piece of a play, "Every Man in his Humour," wherein

is the greatest propriety of speech that; ever I read in my life;

and so to bed. This noon come my wife's watch-maker, and

received 12l. of me for her watch; but Captain Rolt coming to

speak with me about a little business, he did judge of the work

to be very good, and so I am well contented.

10th (Lord's day). To church, where Mr. Mills made an

unnecessary sermon upon Original Sin, neither understood by

himself nor the people. Home, where come Mr. Carter, [Thomas

Carter, S.T.P. 1669.] my old acquaintance of Magdalene College,

who hath not been here of many years. He hath spent his time in

the country with the Bishop of Carlisle much. He is grown a very

comely person, and of good discourse, and one that I like very

much. We had much talk of all our old acquaintance of the

College, concerning their various fortunes; wherein, to my joy, I

met not with any that have sped better than myself. Mrs. Turner

do tell me very odde stories how Mrs. Williams do receive the

applications of people, and hath presents, and she is the hand

that receives all, while my Lord do the business.

12th. With my Lord Brouncker by coach to his house, there to

hear some Italian musique: and here we met Tom Killigrew, Sir

Robert Murray, and the Italian Signor Baptista, [Giovanni

Baptista Draghi, an Italian musician in the service of Queen

Catherine, and a composer of merit. BURNEY, HISTORY OF MUSIC.]

who hath proposed a play in Italian for the Opera, which T.

Killigrew do intend to have up; and here he did sing one of the

acts. He himself is the poet as well as the musician; which is

very much, and did sing the whole from the words without any

musique prickt, and played all along upon a harpsicon most

admirably, and the composition most excellent. The words I did

not understand, and so know not how they are fitted, but believe

very well, and all in the recitative very fine. But I perceive

there is a proper accent in every country's discourse, and that

do reach in their setting of notes to words, which, therefore,

cannot be natural to any body else but them; so that I am not so

much smitten with it as it may be I should be if I were

acquainted with their accent. But the whole composition is

certainly most excellent; and the poetry, T. Killigrew and Sir R.

Murray, who understood the words, did say most excellent. I

confess I was mightily pleased with the musique. He pretends not

to voice, though it be good, but not excellent. This done, T.

Killigrew and I to talk: and he tells me how the audience at his

house is not above half so much as it used to be before the late

fire. That Knipp is like to make the best actor that ever come

upon the stage, she understanding so well: that they are going

to give her 30l. a-year more. That the stage is now by his pains

a thousand times better and more glorious than ever heretofore.

Now wax-candles, and many of them; then not above 3 lbs. of

tallow: now all things civil, no rudeness any where; then, as in

a bear-garden: then two or three fiddlers, now nine or ten of

the best: then nothing but rushes upon the ground, and every

thing else mean; now all otherwise: then the Queene seldom and

the King never would come; now, not the King only for state, but

all civil people do think they may come as well as any. He tells

me that he hath gone several times (eight or ten times, he tells

me,) hence to Rome, to hear good musique; so much he loves it,

though he never did sing or play a note. That he hath ever

endeavoured in the late King's time and in this to introduce good

musique, but he never could do it, there never having been any

musique here better than ballads. And says "Hermitt poore" and

"Chiny Chese" was all the musique we had; and yet no ordinary

fiddlers get so much money as ours do here, which speaks our

rudeness still. That he hath gathered our Italians from several

Courts in Christendome, to come to make a concert for the King,

which he do give 200l. a-year a-piece to; but badly paid, and do

come in the room of keeping four ridiculous Gundilows, he having

got the King to put them away, and lay out money this way. And

indeed I do commend him for it; for I think it is a very noble

undertaking. He do intend to have some times of the year these

operas to be performed at the two present theatres, since he is

defeated in what he intended in Moorefields on purpose for it.

And he tells me plainly that the City audience was as good as the

Court; but now they are most gone. Baptista tells me that

Giacomo Charissimi [Giacomo Chiarissimi, Maestro di Cappella of

the Church of St. Apollinare in the German College at Rome, an

excellent Italian musician. He lived to be 90.--BURNEY.] is

still alive at Rome, who was master to Vinnecotio, who is one of

the Italians that the King hath here, and the chief composer of

them. My great wonder is, how this man do to keep in memory so

perfectly the musique of the whole act, both for the voice and

the instrument too. I confess I do admire it: but in recitative

the sense much helps him, for there is but one proper way of

discoursing and giving the accents. Having done our discourse,

we all took coaches (my Lord's and T. Killigrew's) and to Mrs.

Knipp's chamber, where this Italian is to teach her to sing her

part. And so we all thither, and there she did sing an Italian

song or two very fine, while he played the bass upon a harpsicon

there; and exceedingly taken I am with her singing, and believe

she will do miracles at that and acting.

13th. To the Duke of York, and there did our usual business; but

troubled to see that at this time, after our declaring a debt to

the Parliament of 900,000l. and nothing paid since, but the debt

encreased, and now the fleet to set out, to hear that the King

hath ordered but 35,000l. for the setting out of the fleet, out

of the Poll Bill to buy all provisions, when five times as much

had been little enough to have done any thing to purpose. They

have, indeed, ordered more for paying off of seamen and the Yards

to some time, but not enough for that neither. A foul evening

this was to-night, and I mightily troubled to get a coach home;

and, which is now my common practice, going over the ruins in the

night, I rid with my sword drawn in the coach.

14th. By coach to my Lord Chancellor's, and there a meeting:

the Duke of York, Duke of Albemarle, and several other Lords of

the Commission of Tangier. And there I did present a state of my

accounts, and managed them well and my Lord Chancellor did say,

though he was in other things in an ill humour, that no man in

England was of more method, nor made himself better understood,

than myself. But going, after the business of money was over, to

other businesses, of settling the garrison, he did fling out, and

so did the Duke of York, two or three severe words touching my

Lord Bellasses: that he would have no Governor come away from

thence in less than three years: no, though his lady were with

child. "And," says the Duke of York, "there should be no

Governor continue so, longer than three years."--"And," says

Lord Arlington, "when our rules are once set, and upon good

judgment declared, no Governor should offer to alter them." "We

must correct the many things that are amiss there; for (says the

Lord Chancellor) you must think we do hear of more things amiss

than we are willing to speak before our friends' faces." My Lord

Bellasses would not take notice of their reflecting on him, and

did wisely. H. Cholmly and I to the Temple, and there walked in

the dark in the walks talking of news; and he surprises me with

the certain news that the King did last night in Council declare

his being in treaty with the Dutch: that they had sent him a

very civil letter, declaring that if nobody but themselves were

concerned, they would not dispute the place of treaty, but leave

it to his choice; but that being obliged to satisfy therein a

prince of equal quality with himself, they must except any place

in England or Spain. Also the King hath chosen the Hague, and

thither hath chose my Lord Hollis and Harry Coventry to go

Embassadors to treat; which is so mean a thing as all the world

will believe that we do go to beg a peace of them, whatever we

pretend. And it seems all our Court are mightily for a peace,

taking this to be the time to make one while the King hath money,

that he may save something of what the Parliament hath given him

to put him out of debt, so as he may need the help of no more

Parliaments, as to the point of money: but our debt is so great,

and expence daily so encreased, that I believe little of the

money will be saved between this and the making of the peace up.

But that which troubles me most is, that we have chosen a son of

Secretary Morris, a boy never used to any business, to go

Secretary to the Embassy.

14th. This morning come up to my wife's bedside, I being up

dressing myself, little Will Mercer to be her Valentine; and

brought her name writ upon blue paper in gold letters, done by

himself, very pretty; and we were both well pleased with it. But

I am also this year my wife's Valentine, and it will cost me 5l.;

but that I must have laid out if we had not been Valentines.

15th. Pegg Pen is married this day privately: no friends but

two or three relations of his and hers. Borrowed many things of

my kitchen for dressing their dinner. This wedding, being

private, is imputed to its being just before Lent, and so in vain

to make new clothes till Easter, that they might see the fashions

as they are like to be this summer; which is reason good enough.

16th. To my Lord Brouncker's, and there was Sir Robert Murray, a

most excellent man of reason and learning, and understands the

doctrine of musique, and every thing else I could discourse of,

very finely. Here come Mr. Hooke, Sir George Ent, Dr. Wren, and

many others; and by and by the musique, that is to say, Signior

Vincentio, who is the master composer, and six more, whereof two

eunuches (so tall that Sir T. Harvy said well that he believes

they do grow large as our oxen do), and one woman very well

dressed and handsome enough, but would not be kissed, as Mr.

Killigrew, who brought the company in, did acquaint us. They

sent two harpsicons before, and by and by after tuning them they

begun; and, I confess, very good musique they made; that is, the

composition exceeding good, but yet not at all more pleasing to

me than what I have heard in English by Mrs. Knipp, Captain

Cocke, and others. Their justness in keeping time by practice

much before any that we have, unless it be a good band of

practiced fiddlers. I find that Mrs. Pierce's little girl is my

Valentine, she having drawn me; which I was not sorry for, it

easing me of something more that I must have given to others.

But here I do first observe the fashion of drawing of mottos as

well as names; so that Pierce, who drew my wife, did draw also a

motto, and this girl drew another for me. What mine was I have

forgot; but my wife's was, "Most courteous and most fair:" which

as it may be used, or an anagram made upon each name, might be

very, pretty. One wonder I observed to-day, that there was no

musique in the morning to call up our new-married people; which

is very mean methinks.

17th. Staid till the council was up, and attended the King and

Duke of York round the Park, and was asked several questions by

both; but I was in pain lest they should ask me what I could not

answer; as the Duke of York did the value of the hull of the St.

Patricke lately lost, which I told him I could not presently

answer: though I might have easily furnished myself to answer

all those questions. They stood a good while to see the ganders

and geese in the water. At home by appointment comes Captain

Cocke to me, to talk of State matters and about the peace; who

told me that the whole business is managed between Kevet,

Burgomaster, of Amsterdam, and my Lord Arlington, who hath

through his wife there some interest. [See note Nov. 15, 1666.]

We have proposed the Hague, but know not yet whether the Dutch

will like it; or if they do, whether the French will. We think

we shall have the help of the information of their affairs and

state, and the helps of the Prince of Orange his faction: but

above all, that De Witt, who hath all this while said he cannot

get peace, his mouth will now be stopped, so that he will be

forced to offer fit terms for fear of the people; and lastly, if

France or Spain do not please us, we are in a way presently to

clap up a peace with the Dutch, and secure them. But we are also

in treaty with France, as he says; but it must be to the

excluding our alliance with the King of Spain or House of

Austria: which we do not know presently what will be determined

in. He tells me the Vice-chamberlaine is so great with the King,

that let the Duke of York, and Sir W. Coventry, and this office,

do or say what they will, while the King lives Sir G. Carteret

will do what he will; and advises me to be often with him, and

eat and drink with him; and tells me that he doubts he is jealous

of me, and was mighty mad to-day at our discourse to him before

the Duke of York. But I did give him my reasons, that the office

is concerned to declare that without money the King's work cannot

go on. He assures me that Henry Brouncker is one of the

shrewdest fellows for parts in England, and a dangerous man:

that while we want money so much in the Navy, the officers of the

Ordnance have at this day 300,000l. good in tallies, which they

can command money upon: that Harry Coventry, who is to go upon

this treaty with Lord Hollis (who he confesses to be a very wise

man) into Holland, is a mighty, quick, ready man, but not so

weighty as he should be, he knowing him so well in his drink as

he do: that unless the King do something against my Lord

Mordaunt and the Patents for the Canary Company before the

Parliament next meets, he do believe there will be a civil war

before there will be any more money given, unless it may be at

their perfect disposal; and that all things are now ordered to

the provoking of the Parliament against they come next, and the

spending the King's money, so as to put him into a necessity of

having it at the time it is prorogued for, or sooner. This

evening going to the Queene's side to see the ladies, I did find

the Queene, the Duchesse of York, and another or two, at cards,

with the room full of great ladies and men; which I was amazed at

to see on a Sunday, having not believed it, but contrarily,

flatly denied the same a little while since to my cosen Roger

Pepys.

18th. To the King's house to "The Mayd's Tragedy;" but vexed all

the while with two talking ladies and Sir Charles Sedley; yet

pleased to hear their discourse, he being a stranger. And one of

the ladies would and did sit with her mask on all the play; and

being exceedingly witty as ever I heard woman, did talk most

pleasantly with him; but was, I believe, a virtuous woman, and of

quality. He would fain know who she was, but she would not tell;

yet did give him many pleasant hints of her knowledge of him, by

that means setting his brains at work to find out who she was,

and did give him leave to use all means to find out who she was,

but pulling off her mask. He was mighty witty, and she also

making sport with him very inoffensively, that a more pleasant

rencontre I never heard. But by that means lost the pleasure of

the play wholly, to which now and then Sir Charles Sedley's

exceptions against both words and pronouncing were very pretty.

20th. They talked how the King's viallin, Bannister, is mad;

that the King hath a Frenchman come to be chief of some part of

the King's musique. I with Lord Bellasses, to Lord Chancellor's.

Lord Bellasses tells me how the King of France hath caused the

stop to be made to our proposition of treating in the Hague; that

he being greater than they, we may better come and treat at

Paris: so that God knows what will become of the peace! He

tells me, too, as a grand secret, that he do believe the

offensive and defensive between Spain and us is quite finished,

but must not be known, to prevent the King of France's present

falling upon Flanders. He do believe the Duke of York will be

made General of the Spanish Armies there, and Governor of

Flanders, if the French should come against it, and we assist the

Spaniard: that we have done the Spaniard abundance of mischief

in the West Indys by our privateers at Jamaica, which they lament

mightily, and I am sorry for it to have it done at this time. By

and by come to my Lord Chancellor, who heard mighty quietly my

complaints for lack of money, and spoke mighty kind to me, but

little hopes of help therein.

24th. To White Hall, and there meeting my Lord Arlington, he by

I know not what kindness offered to carry me along with him to my

Lord Treasurer's, whither I told him I was going. I believe he

had a mind to discourse of some Navy businesses, but Sir Thomas

Clifford coming into the coach to us, we were prevented; which I

was sorry for, for I had a mind to begin an acquaintance with

him. He speaks well, and hath pretty slight superficial parts, I

believe. He, in our going, talked much of the plain habit of the

Spaniards; how the King and Lords themselves wear but a cloak of

Colchester bayze, and the ladies mantles in cold weather of white

flannell: and that the endeavours frequently of setting up the

manufactory of making these stuffs there, have only been

prevented by the Inquisition. Captain Cocke did tell me what I

must not forget: that the answer of the Dutch, refusing the

Hague for a place of treaty, and proposing Boysse, Bredah,

Bergen-op-Soome, or Mastricht, was seemingly stopped by the

Swedes Embassador (though he did show it the King, but the King

would take no notice of it, nor does not,) from being delivered

to the King; and he hath wrote to desire them to consider better

of it. So that, though we know their refusal of the place, yet

they know not that we know it, nor the King obliged to show his

sense of the affront. That the Dutch are in very great straits,

so as to be said to be not able to set out their fleet this year.

By and by comes Sir Robert Viner and Lord Mayor [Sir William

Bolton.] to ask the King's direction about measuring out the

streets according to the new Act for building of the City,

wherein the King is to be pleased. But he says that the way

proposed in Parliament by Colonel Birch would have been the best,

to have chosen some persons in trust, and sold the whole ground,

and let it be sold again by them with preference to the old

owner, which would have certainly caused the City to be built

where these Trustees pleased; whereas now great differences will

be, and the streets built by fits, and not entire till all

differences be decided. This, as he tells it, I think would have

been the best way. I enquired about the Frenchman that was said

to fire the City, and was hanged for it by his own confession,

that he was hired for it by a Frenchman of Roane, and that he did

with a stick reach in a fire-ball in at a window of the house:

whereas the master of the house, who is the King's baker, and his

son, and daughter, do all swear there was no such window, and

that the fire did not begin there-abouts. Yet the fellow, who,

though a mopish besotted fellow, did not speak like a madman, did

swear that he did fire it: and did not this like a madman; for

being tried on purpose and landed with his keeper at the Town-

Wharf, he could carry the keeper to the very house. Asking Sir

R. Viner what he thought was the cause of the fire, he tells me,

that the baker, son, and his daughter, did all swear again and

again, that their oven was drawn by ten o'clock at night: that

having occasion to light a candle about twelve, there was not so

much fire in the bakehouse as to light a match for a candle, so

that they were fain to go into another place to light it: that

about two in the morning they felt themselves almost choked with

smoke, and rising did find the fire coming upstairs; so they rose

to save themselves; but that at that time the bavins were not on

fire in the yard. So that they are, as they swear, in absolute

ignorance how this fire should come; which is a strange thing,

that so horrid an effect should have so mean and uncertain a

beginning.

25th. Lay long in bed, talking with pleasure with my poor wife,

how she used to make coal fires, and wash my foul clothes with

her own hand for me, poor wretch! in our little room at my Lord

Sandwich's; for which I ought for ever to love and admire her,

and do: and persuade myself she would do the same thing again,

if God should reduce us to it. At my goldsmith's did observe the

King's new medall, where in little there is Mrs. Stewart's face

as well done as ever I saw any thing in my whole life, I think:

and a pretty thing it is, that he should choose her face to

represent Brittannia by.

27th. This day at a leisure, the King and Duke of York being

gone down to Sheerenesse this morning to lay out the design for a

fortification there to the river Medway; and so we do not attend

the Duke or York as we should otherwise have done. To the Dock

Yard, and went into Mr. Pett's; and there beyond expectation he

did present me with a Japan cane with a silver head, and his wife

sent me by him a ring with a Woolwich stone, now much in request;

which I accepted, the values not being great: and then at my

asking did give me an old draught of an ancient-built ship, given

him by his father, of the Beare in Queene Elizabeth's time. Mr.

Hunt, newly come out of the country, tells me the country is much

impoverished by the greatness of taxes: the farmers do break

every day almost, and 1000l. a year become not worth 500l. He

told me some ridiculous pieces of thrift of Sir G. Downing's, who

is his countryman, in inviting some poor people at Christmas

last, to charm the country people's mouths; but did give them

nothing but beef, porridge, pudding, and pork, and nothing said

all dinner, but only his mother would say, "It's good broth,

son." He would answer, "Yes, it is good broth." Then says his

lady, "Confirm all, and say, Yes, very good broth." By and by

she would begin and say, "Good pork:" "Yes," says the mother,

"good pork." Then he cries, "Yes, very good pork." And so they

said of all things; to which nobody made any answer, they going

there not out of love or esteem of them, but to eat his victuals,

knowing him to be a, niggardly fellow; and with this he is jeered

now all over the country. Met Mr. Cooling, who tells me of my

Lord Duke of Buckingham's being sent for last night by a Sergeant

at Armes to the Tower for treasonable practices, and that the

King is infinitely angry with him, and declared him no longer one

of his Council. I know not the reason of it, or occasion.

28th. Mr. Holland gives it me as his opinion, that the City will

never be built again together, as is expected, while any

restraint is laid upon them. I did within these six days see

smoke still remaining of the late fire in the City. Sir J.

Minnes this night tells me that he hears for certain that ballads

are made of us in Holland for begging of a peace; which I

expected, but am vexed at. So ends this month with nothing of

weight upon my mind but for my father and mother, who are both

very ill, and have been so for some weeks: whom God help! but I

do fear my poor father will hardly be ever naturally well again.

March 1, 1666-7. In Mark-lane I do observe (it being St. David's

day) the picture of a man, dressed like a Welchman, hanging by

the neck upon one of the poles that stand out at the top of one

of the merchant's houses, in full proportion, and very handsomely

done; which is one of the oddest sights I have seen a good while.

Tom Woodall, the known chyrurgeon, is killed at Somerset House by

a Frenchman in a drunken quarrel.

2nd. After dinner with my wife to the King's house to see "The

Mayden Queene," a new play of Dryden's, mightily commended for

the regularity of it, and the strain and wit: and the truth is,

there is a comical part done by Nell, which is Florimell, that I

never can hope ever to see the like done again by man or woman.

The King and Duke of York were at the play. But so great

performance of a comical part was never, I believe, in the world

before as Nell do this, both as a mad girle, then most and best

of all when she comes in like a young gallant; and hath the

motions and carriage of a spark the most that ever I saw any man

have. It makes me, I confess, admire her.

3rd. it is believed that the Dutch will yield to have the treaty

at London or Dover, neither of which will get our King any

credit, we having already consented to have it at the Hague;

which, it seems, De Witt opposed, as a thing wherein the King of

England must needs have some profound design, which in my

conscience he hath not. They do also tell me that news is this

day come to the King, that the King of France is come with his

army to the frontiers of Flanders, demanding leave to pass

through their country towards Poland, but is denied, and

thereupon that he is gone into the country. How true this is I

dare not believe till I hear more. I walked into the Park, it

being a fine but very cold day; and there took two or three turns

the length of the Pell Mell: and there I met Serjeant Bearcroft,

who was sent for the Duke of Buckingham, to have brought him

prisoner to the Tower. He come to town this day, and brings word

that being overtaken and outrid by the Duchesse of Buckingham

within a few miles of the Duke's house of Westhorp, he believes

she got thither about a quarter of an hour before him, and so had

time to consider; so that when he come the doors were kept shut

against him. The next day coming with officers of the neighbour

market-town to force open the doors, they were open for him, but

the Duke gone: so he took horse presently, and heard upon the

road that the Duke of Buckingham was gone before him for London:

so that he believes he is this day also come to town before him;

but no news is yet heard of him. This is all he brings. Thence

to my Lord Chancellor's, and there meeting Sir H. Cholmly, he and

I walked in my Lord's garden, and talked among other things, of

the treaty; and he says there will certainly be a peace, but I

cannot believe it. He tells me that the Duke of Buckingham his

crimes, as far as he knows, are his being of a cabal with some

discontented persons of the late House of Commons, and opposing

the desires of the King in all his matters in that House: and

endeavouring to become popular, and advising how the Commons'

House should proceed, and how he would order the House of Lords.

And that he hath been endeavouring to have the King's nativity

calculated: which was done, and the fellow now in the Tower

about it: which itself hath heretofore, as he says, been held

treason, and people died for it: but by the Statute of Treason

in Queen Mary's time and since, it hath been left out. He tells

me that this silly Lord hath provoked by his ill carriage the

Duke of York, my Lord Chancellor, and all the great persons; and

therefore most likely will die. He tells me too many pratices of

treachery against this King; as betraying him in Scotland, and

giving Oliver an account of the King's private councils: which

the King knows very well, and yet hath pardoned him.

6th. To White Hall; and here the Duke of York did acquaint us

(and the King did the like also afterwards coming in) with his

resolution of altering the manner of the war this year: that is,

we shall keep what fleet we have abroad in several squadrons: so

that now all is come out; but we are to keep it as close as we

can, without hindering the work that is to be done in preparation

to this. Great preparations there are to fortify Sheerenesse and

the yard at Portsmouth, and forces are drawing down to both those

places, and elsewhere by the sea-side; so that we have some fear

of invasion: and the Duke of York himself did declare his

expectation of the enemy's blocking us up here in the river, and

therefore directed that we should send away all the ships that we

have to fit out hence. Sir W. Pen told me, going with me this

morning to White Hall, that for certain the Duke of Buckingham is

brought into the Tower, and that he hath had an hour's private

conference with the King before he was sent thither. Every body

complains of the dearness of coals, being at 4l. per chaldron,

the weather too being become most bitter cold, the King saying

to-day that it was the coldest day he ever knew in England.

Thence by coach to my Lord Crewe's, where very welcome. Here I

find they are in doubt where the Duke of Buckingham is; which

makes me mightily reflect on the uncertainty of all history, when

in a business of this moment, and of this day's growth, we cannot

tell the truth.

7th. To Devonshire House, to a burial of a kinsman of Sir R.

Viner's; and there I received a ring. To the Duke's playhouse,

and saw "The English Princesse, or Richard the Third;" [A

tragedy, by J. Caryl.] a most sad, melancholy play, and pretty

good, but nothing eminent in it, as some tragedys are; only

little Miss Davis did dance a jigg after the end of the play, and

there telling the next day's play, so that it come in by force

only to please the company to see her dance in boy's clothes; and

the truth is, there is no comparison between Nell's dancing the

other day at the King's house in boy's clothes and this, this

being infinitely beyond the other. [Mary Davis, some time a

comedian in the Duke of York's troop, was, according to Pepys,

natural daughter of the Earl of Berkshire: she afterwards became

the King's mistress, and had by him a child named Mary Tudor,

married to Francis Ratcliffe, 2nd Earl of Derwentwater; whose son

James, the 3rd Earl, was attainted and beheaded for High Treason.

There is a fine whole-length portrait of Miss Davis, by Kneller,

lately removed to Audley End, from the collection at Billingbear,

in which she is represented as a tall handsome woman, and her

general appearance ill accords with time description given of her

in the Diary.] This day was reckoned by all people the coldest

day that ever was remembered in England; and, God knows, coals at

a very great price.

8th. Sir H. Cholmly and I to the Temple, and there parted, he

telling me of my Lord Bellasses's want of generosity, and that he

will certainly be turned out of his government, and he thinks

himself stands fair for it.

9th. Captain Cocke, who was here to-night, did tell us that he

is certain that yesterday a proclamation was voted at the council

touching the proclaiming of my Lord Duke of Buckingham a traytor,

and that it will be out on Monday.

11th. Yesterday the King did publicly talk of the King of

France's dealing with all the Princes of Christendome. As to the

States of Holland he hath advised them, on good grounds, to

refuse to treat with us at the Hague, because of having

opportunity of spies by reason of our interest in the House of

Orange; and then, it being a town in one particular province, it

would not be fit to have it but in a town wherein the provinces

have equal interest, as at Mastricht and other places named. That

he advises them to offer no terms, nor accept of any, without his

privity and consent, according to agreement; and tells them, if

not so, he hath in his power to be even with them, the King of

England being come to offer any terms he pleases: and that my

Lord St. Albans is now at Paris, Plenipotentiary, to make what

peace he pleases; and so he can make it and exclude them (the

Dutch) if he sees fit. A copy of this letter of the King of

France's the Spanish Ambassador here gets, and comes and tells

all to our King; which our King denies, and says the King of

France only uses his power of saying anything. At the same time

the King of France writes to the Emperor, that he is resolved to

do all things to express affection to the Emperor, having it now

in his power to make what peace he pleases between the King of

England and him, and the States of the United Provinces; and

therefore, that he would not have him to concern himself in a

friendship with us; and assures him that on that regard he will

not offer anything to his disturbance in his interest in Flanders

or elsewhere. He writes at the same time to Spain, to tell him

that he wonders to hear of a league almost ended between the

Crown of Spain and England, by my Lord Sandwich, and all without

his privity, while he was making a peace upon what terms he

pleased with England. That he is a great lover of the Crown of

Spain, and would take the King and his affairs during his

minority into his protection, nor would offer to set; his foot in

Flanders or any where else to disturb him; and therefore would

not have him to trouble himself to make peace with any body; only

he hath a desire to offer an exchange, which he thinks may be of

moment to both sides: that is, that he will enstate the King of

Spain in the kingdom of Portugall, and he and the Dutch will put;

him into possession of Lisbon; and that being done, he may have

Flanders: and this, they say, do mightily take in Spain, which

is sensible of the fruitless expence Flanders, so far off, gives

them; and how much better it would be for them to be master of

Portugall: and the King of France offers for security herein

that the King of England shall be bond for him, and that he will

counter-secure the King of England with Amsterdam: and it seems

hath assured our King, that if he will make a league with him, he

will make a peace exclusive to the Hollander. These things are

almost romantique, but yet true, as Sir H. Cholmly tells me the

King himself did relate it all yesterday; and it seems as if the

King of France did think other princes fit for nothing but to

make sport for him: but simple princes they are that are forced

to suffer this from him. The proclamation has this day come out

against the Duke of Buckingham, commanding him to come in to one

of the Secretaries, or to the Lieutenant of the Tower. A silly,

vain man to bring himself to this: and there be many hard

circumstances in the proclamation of the causes of this

proceeding of the King's, which speak great displeasure of the

King's, and crimes of his.

13th. The Duke of Buckingham is concluded gone over sea, and, it

is thought, to France.

14th. To my Lord Treasurer's. By and by comes the King and Duke

of York, and presently the officers of the Ordnance were called;

my Lord Barkeley, Sir John Duncomb, and Mr. Chichly; then my Lord

Brouncker, W. Batten, W. Pen, and myself; where we find only the

King and Duke of York, and my Lord Treasurer, and Sir G.

Carteret; when I only did speak, laying down the state of our

wants, which the King and Duke of York seemed very well pleased

with, and we did get what we asked, 500,000l., signed upon the

eleven months' tax: but that is not so much ready-money, or what

will raise 40,000l. per week, which we desired, and the business

will want. The King did prevent my offering any thing by and by

as Treasurer for Tangier, telling me that he had ordered us

30,000l. on the same tax; but that is not what we would have to

bring our payments to come within a year. So we gone out, in

went others; viz. one after another, Sir Stephen Fox for the

Army, Captain Cocke for sick and wounded, Mr. Ashburnham for the

household. Thence W. Batten, W. Pen, and I back again; I

mightily pleased with what I had said and done, and the success

thereof.

15th. Letters this day come to Court do tell us that we are

likely not to agree, the Dutch demanding high terms, and the King

of France the like in a most braveing manner. This morning I was

called up by Sir John Winter, poor man! come in a sedan from the

other end of the town, about helping the King in the business of

bringing down his timber to the sea-side in the forest of Deane.

18th. The weather is now grown warm again after much cold; and

it is observable that within these eight days I did see smoke

remaining, coming out of some cellars from the late great fire,

now above six months since.

17th. I to the Duke of York's lodging, where in his dressing-

chamber, he talking of his journey to-morrow or next day to

Harwich, to prepare some fortifications there; so that we are

wholly upon the defensive part this year. I to walke in the

Parke; where to the Queene's chapel, and there heard a fryer

preach with his cord about his middle in Portuguese, something I

could understand, showing that God did respect the meek and

humble as well as the high and rich. He was full of action, but

very decent and good, I thought, and his manner of delivery very

good. Then I went back to White Hall, and there up to the

closet, and spoke with several people till sermon was ended,

which was preached by the Bishop of Hereford, [Dr. Herbert Croft

was made Bishop of Hereford 1661, but he could not then be very

old, as he lived till 1691. The Bishop's father was a knight and

his son a Baronet.] an old good man, that they say made an

excellent sermon. He was by birth a Catholique, and a great

gallant, having 1500l. per annum patrimony, and is a Knight

Barronet: was turned from his persuasion by the late Archbishop

Laud. He and the Bishop of Exeter, Dr. Ward, are the two Bishops

that the King do say he cannot have bad sermons from. Here I met

with Sir H. Cholmly, who tells me, that undoubtedly my Lord

Bellasses do go no more to Tangier, and that he do believe he do

stand in a likely way to go governor; though he sees and showed

me a young silly lord (one Lord Allington [William 2nd Baron

Allington of Killard, Ireland, created an English Peer 1682;

which title was extinct 1692. He was thrice married.]) who hath

offered a great sum of money to go, and will put hard for it, he

having a fine lady, and a great man would be glad to have him out

of the way. The King is very kind to my Lord Sandwich, and did

himself observe to him (Sir G. Carteret) how those very people

(meaning the Prince, and Duke of Albemarle) are punished in the

same kind as they did seek to abuse my Lord Sandwich.

18th. Comes my old good friend Mr. Richard Cumberland [Richard

Cumberland educated at St. Paul's School, and Magdalene College,

Cambridge, made Bishop of Peterborough 1691. Ob. 1718, aged 86.]

to see me, being newly come to town, whom I have not seen almost,

if not quite these seven years. In a plain country-parson's

dress. I could not spend much time with him, but prayed him to

come with his brother, who was with him, to dine with me to-day;

which he did do: and I had a great deal of his good company; and

a most excellent person he is as any I know, and one that I am

sorry should be lost and buried in a little country town, and

would be glad to remove him thence; and the truth is, if he would

accept of my sister's fortune, I should give 100l. more with him

than to a man able to settle her four times as much as I fear he

is able to do. Comes Captain Jenifer to me, a great servant of

my Lord Sandwich's, who tells me that he do hear for certain,

though I do not yet believe it, that Sir W. Coventry is to be

Secretary of State, and my Lord Arlington Lord Treasurer. I only

wish that the latter were as fit for the latter office as the

former is for the former, and more fit than my Lord Arlington.

Anon Sir W. Pen come and talked with me in the garden; and tells

me that for certain the Duke of Richmond is to marry Mrs.

Stewart, he having this day brought in an account of his estate

and debts to the King on that account. This day Mr. Caesar told

me a pretty experiment of his of angling with a minikin, a gut-

string varnished over, which keeps it from swelling, and is

beyond any hair for strength and smallness. The secret I like

mightily.

19th. It comes in my mind this night to set down how a house was

the other day in Bishopsgate-street blowed up with powder; a

house that was untenanted; but, thanks be to God, it did no more

hurt; and all do conclude it a plot. This afternoon I am told

again that the town do talk of my Lord Arlington's being to be

Lord Treasurer, and Sir W. Coventry to be Secretary of State; and

that for certain the match is concluded between the Duke of

Richmond and Mrs. Stewart; which I am well enough pleased with:

and it is pretty to consider how his quality will allay people's

talk; whereas had a meaner person married her, he would for

certain have been derided at first dash.

20th. To our church to the vestry, to be assessed by the late

Poll Bill, where I am rated as an Esquire, and for my office all

will come to about 50l. But not more than I expected, nor so much

by a great deal as I ought to be for all my offices. The Duke of

Richmond and Mrs. Stewart were betrothed last night. It is

strange how "Rycaut's Discourse of Turky," which before the fire

I was asked but 8s. for, there being all but twenty-two or

thereabouts burned, I did now offer 20s., and he demands 50s.,

and I think I shall give it him, though it be only as a monument

of the fire.

21st. To the Duke of York's playhouse, where unexpectedly I come

to see only the young men and women of the house act; they having

liberty to act for their own profit on Wednesdays and Fridays

this Lent: and the play they did yesterday, being Wednesday, was

so well taken, that they thought fit to venture it publickly to-

day; a play my Lord Falkand's, [Henry Carey, third Viscount

Falkland, M.P, for Arundell 1661. Ob. 1664.] called "The

Wedding Night," a kind of a tragedy, and some things very good in

it, but the whole together, I thought, not so. I confess I was

well enough pleased with my seeing it; and the people did do

better (without the great actors) than I did expect, but yet far

short of what they do when they are there. Our trial for a good

prize came on to-day, "The Phoenix, worth 2 or 3000l." when by

and by Sir W. Batten told me we had got the day, which was mighty

welcome news to me and us all. But it is pretty to see what

money will do. Yesterday Walker [Sir W. Walker.] was mighty

cold on our behalf, till Sir W. Batten promised him, if we sped

in this business of the goods, a coach; and if at the next trial

we sped for the ship, we would give him a pair of horses. And he

hath strove for us to-day like a prince. Though the Swedes'

Agent was there with all the vehemence he could to save the

goods, but yet we carried it against him.

23rd. At the office, where Sir W. Pen come, being returned from

Chatham, from considering the means of fortifying the river

Medway, by a chain at the stakes, and ships laid there with guns

to keep the enemy from coming up to burn our ships; all our care

being now to fortify ourselves against their invading us.

24th. With Sir G. Carteret and Sir J. Minnes; and they did talk

of my Lord Brouncker; whose father it seems did give Mr.

Ashburnham and the present Lord Digby [The Earl of Bristol,

frequently called in the Diary Lord Digby, long after he had

succeeded to the Earldom.] 1200l. to be made an Irish lord, and

swore the same day that he had not 12d. left to pay for his

dinner: they made great mirth at this, my Lord Brouncker having

lately given great matter of offence both to them and us all,

that we are at present mightily displeased with him. By and by

to the Duke of York, where we all met, and there was the King

also; and all our discourse was about fortifying of the Medway

and Harwich, which is to be entrenched quite round, and

Portsmouth: and here they advised with Sir Godfrey Lloyd and Sir

Bernard de Gunn, [Engineer-general, who had been employed in 1661

to construct the works at Dunkirk.] the two great engineers, and

had the plates drawn before them; and indeed all their care they

now take is to fortify themselves, and are not ashamed of it; for

when by and by my Lord Arlington come in with letters, and seeing

the King and Duke of York give us and the officers of the

Ordnance directions in this matter, he did move that we might do

it as privately as we could, that it might not come into the

Dutch Gazette presently, as the King's and Duke of York's going

down the other day to Sheerenesse was the week after in the

Harlem Gazette. The King and Duke of York both laughed at it,

and made no matter, but said, "Let us be safe, and let them talk,

for there is nothing will trouble them more, nor will prevent

their coming more, than to hear that we are fortifying

ourselves." And the Duke of York said further, "What said

Marshal Turenne, when some in vanity said that the enemies were

afraid, for they entrenched themselves? 'Well,' says he, 'I

would they were not afraid, for then they would not entrench

themselves, and so we could deal with them the better.'" Away

thence, and met with Sir H. Cholmly, who tells me that he do

believe the government of Tangier is bought by my Lord Allington

for a sum of money to my Lord Arlington, and something to Lord

Bellasses. I did this night give the waterman who uses to carry

me 10s. at his request, for the painting of his new boat, on

which shall be my arms.

25th. Called at Mr. Lilly's, who was working; and indeed his

pictures are without doubt much beyond Mr. Hales's, I think I may

say I am convinced: but a mighty proud man he is, and full of

state. To the King's playhouse; and by and by comes Mr. Lowther

and his wife and mine, and into a box forsooth, neither of them

being dressed, which I was almost ashamed of. Sir W. Pen and I

in the pit, and here saw "The Mayden Queene" again; which indeed

the more I see the more I like, and is an excellent play, and so

done by Nell her merry part, as cannot be better done in nature.

26th. To Exeter House, where the Judge was sitting, and there

heard our cause pleaded; Sir -- Turner, Sir W. Walker, and Sir

Ellis Layton being our counsel against Sir Robert Wiseman [D.C.L.

King's Advocate 1669.] on the other. The second of our three

counsel was the best, and indeed did speak admirably, and is a

very shrewd man. Nevertheless as good as he did make our case,

and the rest, yet when Wiseman come to argue (nay, and though he

did begin so sillily that we laughed in scorn in our sleeves at

him,) he did so state the case, that the Judge [Sir Leoline

Jenkins, Principal of Jesus College, Oxford, and afterwards made

Judge of the Admiralty and the Prerogative Court. He was

subsequently employed on several Embassies, and in 1680 succeeded

Henry Coventry as secretary of State. Ob. 1685, aged 62.] did

not think it to decide the cause to-night, but took to to-morrow,

and did stagger us in our hopes, so as to make us despair of the

success. I am mightily pleased with the Judge, who seems a very

rational, learned, and uncorrupt man, though our success do shake

me.

27th. To the Castle Taverne by Exeter House; and there Sir Ellis

Layton, whom I find a wonderful witty, ready man for sudden

answers and little tales, and sayings very extraordinary witty.

He did give me a full account, upon my demand, of this Judge of

the Admiralty, Judge Jenkins; who, he says, is a man never

practised in this Court but taken merely for his merit and

ability's sake from Trinity Hall where he had always lived; only

by accident the business of the want of a Judge: being proposed,

the present Archbishop of Canterbury sent for him up: and here

he is against the gre and content of the old Doctors made Judge,

but is a very excellent man both for judgment and temper (yet

majesty enough), and by all men's report not to be corrupted.

After dinner to the Court, where Sir Ellis Layton did make a very

silly motion in our behalf, but did neither hurt nor good after

him Walker and Wiseman. And then the Judge did pronounce his

sentence; for some a part of the goods and ship, and the freight

of the whole to be free and returned and paid by us, and the

remaining (which was the greater part) to be ours. The loss of

so much troubles us; but we have got a pretty good part, thanks

be to God! Received from my brother the news of my mother's

dying on Monday about five or six o'clock in the afternoon, and

that the last time she spoke of her children was on Friday last,

and her last words were, "God bless my poor Sam!" The reading;

hereof did set me a-weeping heartily.

29th. The great streets in the City are marked out with piles

drove into the ground; and if ever it be built in that form with

so fair streets, it will be a noble sight. To a periwigg-maker's

and there bought two periwiggs, mighty fine indeed; too fine, I

thought, for me; but he persuaded me, and I did buy them for 4l.

10s. the two. To the Bull-Head Taverne, whither was brought my

French gun; and one Truelocke, the famous gunsmith, that is a

mighty ingenious man, did take my gun in pieces, and made me

understand the secrets thereof: and upon the whole I do find it

a very good piece of work, and truly wrought; but for certain not

a thing to be used much with safety: and he do find that this

very gun was never yet shot off.

30th. To see the silly play of my Lady Newcastle's, [Margaret,

daughter of Thomas Lucas of Colchester, and sister to John Lord

Lucas, married William Marquis of Newcastle, created a Duke

1664.] called "The Humourous Lovers;" the most silly thing that

ever came upon a stage. I was sick to see it, but yet would not

but have seen it, that I might the better understand her.

31st. To church; and with my mourning, very handsome, and new

periwigg, make a great show. Walked to my Lord Treasurer's,

where the King, Duke of York, and the Caball, and much company

without; and a fine day. Anon come out from the Caball my Lord

Hollis and Mr. H. Coventry, [Third son of Thomas first Lord

Coventry; after the Restoration made a Groom of the Bedchamber,

and elected M.P. for Droitwich. In 1664 he was sent Envoy

Extraordinary to Sweden, where he remained two years, and was

again employed on an Embassy to the same Court in 1671. He also

succeeded in negotiating the peace at Breda here alluded to, and

in 1672 became Secretary of State; which office he resigned in

1679, on account of ill health. He died unmarried, Dec. 7,

1686.] who, it is conceived, have received their instructions

from the King this day; they being to begin their journey towards

their treaty at Bredagh speedily, their passes being come. Here

I saw the Lady Northumberland [Lady Elizabeth Howard, daughter of

Theophilus Earl of Suffolk, wife of Algernon tenth Earl of

Northumberland.] and her daughter-in-law (my Lord Treasurer's

daughter) my Lady Piercy, a beautiful lady indeed. [Lady

Elizabeth Wriothesly, daughter to the Earl of Southampton,

married Joscelin Lord Percy.] The month shuts up only with great

desires of peace in all of us, and a belief that we shall have a

peace, in most people if it can be had on any terms, for there is

a necessity of it; for we cannot go on with the war, and our

masters are afraid to come to depend upon the good will of the

Parliament any more, as I do hear.

APRIL 1st. 1667. To White Hall, and there had the good fortune

to walk with Sir W. Coventry into the garden, and there read our

melancholy letter to the Duke of York, which he likes. And so to

talk: and he flatly owns that we must have a peace, for we

cannot set out a fleet; and (to use his own words) he fears that

we shall soon have enough of fighting in this new way that we

have thought on for this year. He bemoans the want of money, and

discovers himself jealous that Sir G. Carteret do not look after

or concern himself for getting money; and did further say, that

he and my Lord Chancellor do at this very day labour all they can

to vilify this new way of raising money, and making it payable as

it now is into the Exchequer; and that in pursuance hereof my

Lord Chancellor hath prevailed with the King in the close of his

speech to the House to say, that he did hope to see them come to

give money as it used to be given, without so many provisos,

meaning this new method of the Act. Mrs. Rebecca Allen, poor

heart! come to desire favour for her husband, who is clapt up,

being a Lieutenant, for sending a challenge to his Captain in the

most saucy, base language that could be writ. I perceive Sir W.

Coventry is wholly resolved to bring him to punishment; for "bear

with this," says he, "and no discipline shall ever be expected."

Sir J. Minnes did tell of the discovery of his own great-

grandfather's murder, fifteen years after he was murdered.

3rd. To the Duke of York, where Sir G. Carteret did say that he

had no funds to raise money on; and being asked by Sir W.

Coventry whether the eleven months' tax was not a fund, he

answered "No," that the banquers would not lend money upon it.

Then Sir W. Coventry burst out and said he did supplicate His

Royal Highness, and would do the same to the King, that he would

remember who they were that did persuade the King from parting

with the Chimney-money to the Parliament, and taking that in lieu

which they would certainly have given, and which would have

raised infallibly ready-money; meaning the bankers and the

farmers of the Chimney-money, (whereof Sir G. Carteret, I think,

is one;) saying plainly, that whoever did advise the King to

that, did as much as in them lay cut the King's throat, and did

wholly betray him. To which the Duke of York did assent; and

remembered that the King did say again and again at the time,

that he was assured, and did fully believe, the money would be

raised presently upon a land-tax, This put us all into a stound.

And Sir W. Coventry went on to declare that he was glad he was

come to have so lately concern in the Navy as he hath, for he

cannot now give any good account of the Navy business; and that

all his work now was to be able to provide such orders as would

justify His Royal Highness in business when it shall be called to

account; and that he do do, not concerning himself whether they

are or can be performed, or no: and that when it comes to be

examined and falls on my Lord Treasurer, he cannot help it,

whatever the issue of it shall be. One thing more Sir W.

Coventry did say to the Duke of York, when I moved again, that of

about 9000l. debt to Lanyon at Plymouth, he might pay 3700l.

worth of prize-goods that he bought lately at the candle out of

this debt due to him from the King; and the Duke of York, and Sir

G. Carteret, and Lord Barkeley, saying all of them that my Lord

Ashly would not be got to yield it, who is Treasurer of the

Prizes: Sir W. Coventry did plainly desire that it might be

declared whether the proceeds of the prizes were to go to the

helping on of the war, or no; and if it were, how then this could

be denied. Which put them all into another stound; and it is

true, God forgive us! Thence to the chapel, and there by chance

hear that Dr. Crewe is to preach; and so into the organ loft,

where I met Mr. Carteret, and my Lady Jemimah, and Sir Thomas

Crewe's two daughters, and Dr. Childe playing: and Dr. Crewe did

make a very pretty, neat, sober, honest sermon; and delivered it

very readily, decently, and gravely, beyond his years: so as I

was exceedingly taken with it, and I believe the whole chapel, he

being but young; but his manner of his delivery I do like

exceedingly. His text was, "But first seek the kingdom of God,

and all things shall be added unto you." The Dutch letters are

come, and say that the Dutch have ordered a passe to be sent for

our Commissioners, and that it is now upon the way coming with a

trumpeter blinded, as is usual. But I perceive every body begins

to doubt the success of the treaty, all their hopes being only

that if it can be had on any terms, the Chancellor will have it;

for he dare not come before a Parliament, nor a great many more

of the courtiers, and the King himself do declare he do not

desire it, nor intend but on a strait; which God defend him from!

Here I hear how the King is not so well pleased of this marriage

between the Duke of Richmond and Mrs. Stewart, as is talked; and

that he by a wile did fetch her to the Beare, at the Bridge-foot,

where a coach was ready, and they are stole away into Kent

without the King's leave; and that the King hath said he will

never see her more: but people do think that it is only a trick.

This day I saw Prince Rupert abroad in the vane-room, pretty well

as he used to be, and looks as well, only something appears to be

under his periwigg on the crown of his head.

4th. I find the Duke of Albemarle at dinner with sorry company,

some of his officers of the Army: dirty dishes and a nasty wife

at table, and had meat, of which I made but an ill dinner.

Pretty to hear how she talked against Captain Du Tel, the

Frenchman, that the Prince and her husband put out the last year;

and how, says she, the Duke of York hath made him for his good

services his capbearer, yet he fired more shot into the Prince's

ship, and others of the King's ships, than of the enemy. And the

Duke of Albemarle did confirm it, and that somebody in the fight

did cry out that a little Dutchman by his ship did plague him

more than any other; upon which they were going to order him to

be sunk, when they looked and found it was Du Tell, who, as the

Duke of Albemarle says, had killed several men in several of our

ships. He said, but for his interest, which he knew he had at

Court, he had hanged him at the yard's-arm without staying for a

Court-martiall. One Colonell Howard, at the table, magnified the

Duke of Albemarle's fight in June last, as being a greater action

than ever was done by Caesar. The Duke of Albemarle did say it

had been no great action, had all his number fought, as they

should have done, to have beat; the Dutch: but of his 55 ships,

not above 25 fought. He did give an account that it was a fight

he was forced to: the Dutch being come in his way, and he being

ordered to the buoy of the Nore, he could not pass by them

without fighting, nor avoid them without great disadvantage and

dishonour, (and this Sir G. Carteret, I afterwards giving him an

account of what he said, says that it is true that he was ordered

up to the Nore.) But I remember he said, had all his captains

fought, he would no more have doubted to have beat the Dutch with

all their number, than to eat the apple that lay on his trencher.

My Lady Duchesse, among other things, discoursed of the wisdom of

dividing the fleet; which the Generall said nothing to, though he

knew well that it come from themselves in the fleet, and was

brought up hither by Sir Edward Spragge. Colonell Howard, asking

how the Prince did, the Duke of Albemarle answering "Pretty

well," the other replied, "But not so well as to go to sea

again."--" How!" says the Duchesse, "what should he go for, if he

were well, for there are no ships for him to command? And so you

have brought your hogs to a fair market," said she. It was

pretty to hear the Duke of Albemarle himself to wish that they

would come on our ground (meaning the French), for that he!

would pay them so as to make them glad to go back to France

again; which was like a general, but not like an admiral. One at

the table told an odd passage in this late plague: that at

Petersfield (I think he said) one side of the street had every

house almost infected through the town, and the other, not one

shut up. I made Sir G. Carteret merry with telling him how many

land-admirals we are to have this year: Allen at Plymouth,

Holmes at Portsmouth, Spragge for Medway, Teddiman at Dover,

Smith to the Northward, and Harman to the Southward. With Sir

Stephen Fox talking of the sad condition of the King's purse, and

affairs thereby; and how sad the King's life must be, to pass by

his officers every hour, that are four years behind hand unpaid.

Sir W. Coventry tells me plainly, that to all future complaints

of lack of money he will answer but with the shrug of the

shoulder; which methought did come to my heart, to see him to

begin to abandon the King's affairs, and let them sink or swim.

My wife had been to day at White Hall to the Maunday, it being

Maunday Thursday; but the King did not wash the poor people's

feet himself, but the Bishop of London did it for him.

5th. Mr. Young was talking about the building of the City again:

and he told me that those few churches that are to be new built

are plainly not chosen with regard to the convenience of the

City; they stand a great many in a cluster about Cornhill: but

that all of them are either in the gift of the Lord Archbishop,

or Bishop of London, or Lord Chancellor, or gift of the City.

Thus all things, even to the building of churches, are done in

this world! This morning come to me the collectors for my Poll-

money; for which I paid for my title as Esquire and place of

Clerk of Acts, and my head and wife's servants', and their wages,

40l. 17s. And though this be a great deal, yet it is a shame I

should pay no more: that is, that I should not be assessed for

my pay, as in the victualling business and Tangier; and for my

money, which of my own accord I had determined to charge myself

with 1000l. money, till coming to the Vestry, and seeing nobody

of our ablest merchants, as Sir Andrew Rickard, [A leading man in

the East India Company, who was committed in 1668 by the House of

Lords, during their proceedings on the petition of Skinner, VIDE

JOURNALS, He purchased the advowson of his parish, St. Olave,

Hart Street, and left it to trustees IN PERPETUUM, who still

present the Rector. He was knighted by Charles II,. July 10th,

1662.] to do it, I thought it not decent for me to do it.

7th. To White Hall, and there saw the King come out of chapel

after prayers in the afternoon, which he is never at but after

having received the Sacrament: and the Court, I perceive, is

quite out of mourning; and some very fine; among others, my Lord

Gerard, in a very rich vest and coate. Here I met with my Lord

Bellasses: and it is pretty to see what a formal story he tells

me of his leaving his place upon the death of my Lord Cleveland,

[Thomas Wentworth Earl of Cleveland.] by which he is become

Captain of the Pensioners; and that the King did leave it to him

to keep the other or take this; whereas I know the contrary, that

they had a mind to have him away from Tangier. Into Moor-fields,

and did find houses built two stories high, and like to stand;

and must become a place of great trade till the City be built;

and the street is already paved as London streets used to be.

8th. Away to the Temple, to my new bookseller's; and there I did

agree for Rycaut's [This book is in the Pepysian Library.] late

History of the Turkish Policy, which cost me 55s.: whereas it

was sold plain before the late fire for 8s., and bound and

coloured as this is for 20s.; for I have bought it finely bound

and truly coloured all the figures, of which there was but six

books done so, whereof the King and Duke of York and Duke of

Monmouth, and Lord Arlington, had four. The fifth was sold, and

I have bought the sixth.

9th. Towards noon I to the Exchange, and there do hear mighty

cries for peace, and that otherwise we shall be undone; and yet

do suspect the badness of the peace we shall make. Several do

complain of abundance of land flung up by tenants out of their

hands for want of ability to pay their rents; and by name, that

the Duke of Buckingham hath 6000l. so flung up. And my father

writes that Jasper Trice, upon this pretence of his tenants'

dealing with him, is broke up house-keeping, and gone to board

with his brother, Naylor, at Offord; which is very sad. To the

King's house, and there saw "The Tameing of a Shrew," which hath

some very good pieces in it, but generally is but a mean play;

and the best part "Sawny," done by Lucy; and hath not half its

life, by reason of the words, I suppose, not being understood, at

least by me.

10th. I began to discourse with Sir W. Coventry the business of

Tangier, which by the removal of my Lord Bellasses is now to have

a new Governor; and did move him, that at this season all the

business of reforming the garrison might be considered, while

nobody was to be offended. And I told him it is plain that we do

overspend our revenue: that it is of no more profit to the King

than it was the first day, nor in itself of better credit; no

more people of condition willing to live there, nor any thing

like a place likely to turn his Majesty to account: that it hath

been hitherto, and for aught I see likely only to be used as a

jobb to do a kindness to some lord, or he that can get to be

Governor. Sir W. Coventry agreed with me so as to say, that

unless the King hath the wealth of the Mogull, he would be a

beggar to have his businesses ordered in the manner they now are:

that his garrison must be made places only of convenience to

particular persons: that he hath moved the Duke of York in it:

and that it was resolved to send no Governor thither till there

had been Commissioners sent to put the garrison in order, so as

that he that goes may go with limitations and rules to follow,

and not to do as he please, as the rest have hitherto done. That

he is not afraid to speak his mind, though to the displeasure of

any man; and that I know well enough. But that when it is come

(as it is now), that to speak the truth in behalf of the King

plainly do no good but all things bore down by other measures

than by what is best for the King, he hath no temptation to be

perpetually fighting of battles, it being more easy to him on

those terms to suffer things to go on without giving any man

offence, than to have the same thing done, and he contract the

displeasure of all the world, as he must do, that will be for the

King. To the King's little chapel; and afterwards to see the

King heal the King's Evil (wherein no pleasure, I having seen it

before): and then to see him and the Queene and Duke of York and

his wife, at dinner in the Queene's lodgings. And so with Sir G.

Carteret to his lodgings to dinner; where very good company. And

after dinner he and I to talk alone how things are managed, and

to what ruin we must come if we have not a peace. He did tell me

one occasion, how Sir Thomas Allen (whom I took for a man of

known courage and service on the King's side) was tried for his

life in Prince Rupert's fleet, in the late times for cowardice,

and condemned to be hanged, and fled to Jerzy; where Sir G.

Carteret received him, not knowing the reason of his coming

thither; and that thereupon Prince Rupert wrote to the Queene-

Mother his dislike of Sir G. Carteret's receiving a person that

stood condemned; and so Sir C. Carteret was forced to bid him

betake himself to some other place. This was strange to me. Our

Commissioners are preparing to go to Bredah to the treaty, and do

design to be going the next week.

11th. To White Hall, thinking there to have seen the Duchesse of

Newcastle's coming this night to Court to make a visit to the

Queene, the King having been with her yesterday to make her a

visit since her coming to town. The whole story of this lady is

a romance, and all she does is romantic. Her footmen in velvet

coats, and herself in an antique dress, as they say; and was the

other day at her own play, "The Humourous Lovers;" the most

ridiculous thing that ever was wrote, but yet she and her Lord

mightily pleased with it; and she at the end made her respects to

the players from her box, and did give them thanks. There is as

much expectation of her coming to Court, that so people may come

to see her, as if it were the Queene of Sweden; but I lost my

labour, for she did not come this night. There have been two

fires in the City within this week.

12th. By water to White Hall, and there did our usual business

before the Duke of York: but it fell out that, discoursing of

matters of money, it rose to a mighty heat, very high words

arising between Sir G. Carteret and Sir W. Coventry, the former

in his passion saying that the other should have helped things if

they were so bad; and the other answered, so he would, and things

should have been better had he been Treasurer of the Navy. I was

mightily troubled at this heat, and it will breed ill blood

between them, I fear; but things are in that bad condition, that

I do daily expect we shall all fly in one another's faces, when

we shall be reduced every one to answer for himself. We broke

up; and I soon after to Sir G. Carteret's chamber, where I find

the poor man telling his lady privately, and she weeping. I went

in to them, and did seem, as indeed I was, troubled for this; and

did give the best advice I could, which I think did please them:

and they do apprehend me their friend, as indeed I am, for I do

take the Vice-chamberlain for a most honest man. He did assure

me that he was not, all expences and things paid, clear in estate

15,000l. better than he was when the King come in; and that the

King and Lord Chancellor did know that he was worth, with the

debt the King owed him, 50,000l. (I think he said) when the King

come into England.

15th. Called up by Sir H. Cholmly, who tells me that my Lord

Middleton [John first Earl of Middleton in Scotland.] is for

certain chosen Governor of Tangier; a man of moderate

understanding, not covetous, but a soldier of fortune, and poor.

To the King's house by chance, where a new play: so full as I

never saw it; I forced to stand all the while close to the very

door till I took cold, and many people went away for want of

room. The King and Queene and Duke of York and Duchesse there,

and all the Court, and Sir W. Coventry. The play called, "The

Change of Crownes:" a play of Ned Howard's, [A younger son of the

Earl of Berkshire, and brother to Sir Robert Howard.] the best

that I ever saw at that house, being a great play and serious;

only Lacy did act the country-gentleman come up to Court, who do

abuse the Court with all the imaginable wit and plainness about

selling of places, and doing every thing for money. The play

took very much. Thence I to my new bookseller's, and there

bought "Hooker's Polity," the new edition, and "Dugdale's History

of the Inns of Court," of which there was but a few saved out of

the fire. Carried my wife to see the new play I saw yesterday:

but there, contrary to expectation, I find "The Silent Woman."

16th. Knipp tells me the King was so angry at the liberty taken

by Lacy's part to abuse him to his face, that he commanded they

should act no more, till Moone [Michael Mohun, a celebrated actor

belonging to the King's Company; he had served as a Major in the

Royal Army.] went and got leave for them to act again, but not

this play. The King mighty angry; and it was bitter indeed, but

very fine and witty I never was more taken with a play than I am

with this "Silent Woman," as old as it is, and as often as I have

seen it. There is more wit in it than goes to ten new plays.

Pierce told us the story how in good earnest the King is offended

with the Duke of Richmond's marrying and Mrs. Stewart's sending

the King his jewels again. As she tells it, it is the noblest

romance: and example of a brave lady that ever I read in my

life.

17th. In our way in Tower-street we saw Desbrough [Major-general

John Desborough, Cromwell's brother-in-law, and one of his

CounciI of State; afterwards promoted to the (Chancellorship of

Ireland by his nephew Richard.] walking on foot; who is now no

more a prisoner, and looks well, and just as he used to do

heretofore.

19th. Some talk about Sir W. Pen's being to buy Wanstead-House

of Sir Robert Brookes.

20th. Met Mr. Rolt, who tells me the reason of no play today at

the King's house. That Lacy had been committed to the porter's

lodge for his acting his part in the late new play, and being

thence released to come to the King's house, he there met with

Ned Howard, the poet of the play, who congratulated his release;

upon which Lacy cursed him as that it was the fault of his

nonsensical play that was the cause of his ill usage. Mr. Howard

did give him some reply: to which Lacy answered him, that he was

more a fool than a poet; upon which Howard did give him a blow on

the face with his glove; on which Lacy, having a cane in his

hand, did give him a blow over the pate. Here Rolt and others

that discoursed of it, in the pit this afternoon, did wonder that

Howard did not run him through, he being too mean a fellow to

fight with. But Howard did not do any thing but complain to the

King of it; so the whole house is silenced: and the gentry seem

to rejoice much at it, the house being become too insolent. I

have a mind to buy enough ground to build a coach-house and

stable; for I have had it much in my thoughts lately that it is

not too much for me now in degree or cost to keep a coach, but

contrarily, that I am almost ashamed to be seen in a hackney. To

Hackney church. A knight and his lady very civil to me when they

came, being Sir George Viner, and his lady in rich jewells, but

most in beauty: almost the finest woman that ever I saw. That

which I went chiefly to see was the young ladies of the schools,

whereof there is great store, very pretty; and also the organ,

which is handsome, and tunes the psalm and plays with the people;

which is mighty pretty, and makes me mighty earnest to have a

pair at our church: I having almost a mind to give them a pair

if they would settle a maintenance on them for it.

22nd. To the Lord Chancellor's house, the first time I have been

therein; and it is very noble, and brave pictures of the ancient

and present nobility. The King was vexed the other day for

having no paper laid for him at the Council table, as was usual;

and Sir Richard Browne did tell his Majesty he would call the

person whose work it was to provide it: who being come, did tell

his Majesty that he was but a poor man, and was out 4 or 500l.

for it, which was as much as he is worth; and that he cannot

provide it any longer without money, having not received a penny

since the King's coming in. So the King spoke to my Lord

Chamberlain. And many such mementos the King do now-a-days meet

withall, enough to make an ingenuous man mad.

23rd. St. George's-day; the feast being kept at White Hall, out

of design, as it is thought, to make the best coutenance we can

to the Swede's Embassadors before their leaving us to go to the

treaty abroad, to show some jollity.

24th. To Sir John Duncomb's lodging in the Pell Mell, in order

to the money spoken of in the morning; and there awhile sat and

discoursed: and I find that he is a very proper man for

business, being very resolute and proud, and industrious. He

told me what reformation they had made in the office of the

Ordnance, taking away Legg's fees: have got an order that no

Treasurer after him shall ever sit at the Board; and it is a good

one: that no Master of the Ordnance here shall ever sell a

place. He tells me they have not paid any increase of price for

any thing during this war, but in most have paid less; and at

this day have greater stores than they know where to lay if there

should be peace, and than ever was any time this war. Then to

talk of news: that he thinks the want of money hath undone the

King, for the Parliament will never give the King more money

without; calling all people to account, nor, as he believes, will

ever make war again, but they will manage it themselves: unless,

which I proposed, he would visibly become a severer inspector

into his own business and accounts, and that would gain upon the

Parliament yet: which he confesses and confirms as the only lift

to set him upon his legs, but says that it is not, in his nature

ever to do. He thinks that much of our misfortune hath been for

want of an active Lord Treasurer, and that such a man as Sir W.

Coventry would do the business thoroughly.

26th. To White Hall, and there saw the Duke of Albemarle, who is

not well, and do grow crazy. While I was waiting in the Matted

Gallery, a young man was working in Indian inke, the great

picture of the King and Queene sitting by Van Dike; and did it

very finely. Then I took a turn with Mr. Evelyn; with whom I

walked two hours, till almost one of the clock: talking of the

badness of the Government, where nothing but wickedness, and

wicked men and women command the King: that it is not in his

nature to gainsay any thing that relates to his pleasures; that

much of it arises from the sickliness of our Ministers of State,

who cannot be about him as the idle companions are, and therefore

he gives way to the young rogues; and then from the negligence of

the clergy, that a Bishop shall never be seen about him, as the

King of France hath always: that the King would fain have some

of the same gang to be Lord Treasurer, which would be yet worse,

for now some delays are put to the getting gifts of the King; as

Lady Byron, [Eleanor, daughter of Robert Needham, Viscount

Kilmurrey, and widow of Peter Warburton, became in 1644 the

second wife of Richard first Lord Byron. Ob. 1663.] who had

been, as he called it, the King's seventeenth mistress abroad,

did not leave him till she had got him to give her an order for

4000l. worth of plate to be made for her; but by delays, thanks

be to God! she died before she had it. He confirmed to me the

business of the want of paper at the Council table the other day,

which I have observed; Wooly being to have found it, and did,

being called, tell the King to his face the reason of it. And

Mr. Elvelyn tells me of several of the menial servants of the

Court lacking bread, that have not received a farthing wages

since the King's coming in. He tells me the King of France hath

his mistresses, but laughs at the foolery of our King, that makes

his bastards princes, and loses his revenue upon them, and makes

his mistresses his masters. And the King of France did never

grant Lavaliere any thing to bestow on others, and gives a little

subsistence, but no more, to his bastards. We told me the whole

story of Mrs. Stewart's going away from Court, he knowing her

well; and believes her, up to her leaving the Court, to be as

virtuous as any woman in the world: and told me, from a Lord

that she told it to but yesterday with her own mouth, and a sober

man, that when the Duke of Richmond did make love to her, she did

ask the King, and he did the like also; and that the King did not

deny it, and told this Lord that she was come to that pass as to

resolve to have married any gentleman of 1500l. a-year that would

have had her in honour: for it was come to that pass, that she

could not longer continue at Court without prostituting herself

to the King, whom she had so long kept off, though he had liberty

more than any other had, or he ought to have, as to dalliance.

She told this Lord that she had reflected upon the occasion she

had given the world to think her a bad woman, and that she had no

way but to marry and leave the Court, rather in this way of

discontent than otherwise, that the world might see that she

sought not any thing but her honour; and that she will never come

to live at Court; more than when she comes to town to kiss the

Queene her mistress's hand: and hopes, though she hath little

reason to hope, she can please her Lord so as to reclaim him,

that they may yet live comfortably in the country on his estate.

She told this Lord that all the jewells she ever had given her at

Court, or any other presents (more than the King's Allowance of

700l. per annum out of the Privy-purse for her clothes), were at

her first coming, the King did give her a necklace of pearl of

about 1100l.; and afterwards, about seven months since, when the

King had hopes to have obtained some courtesy of her, the King

did give her some jewells, I have forgot what, and I think a pair

of pendants. The Duke of York, being once her Valentine, did

give her a jewell of about 800l.; and my Lord Mandeville, her

Valentine this year, a ring of about 300l.; and the King of

France would have had her mother (who, he says, was one of the

most cunning women in the world,) to have let her stay in France,

saying that he loved her not as a mistress, but as one that he

could marry as well as any lady in France; and that, if she might

stay, for the honour of his court he would take care she should

not repent. But her mother, by command of the Queene-mother,

thought rather to bring her into England; and the King of France

did give her a jewell: so that Evelyn believes she may be worth

in jewells about 6000l. and that is all she hath in the world:

and a worthy woman; and in this hath done as great an act of

honour as ever was done by woman. That now the Countesse

Castlemaine do carry all before her: and among other arguments

to prove Mrs. Stewart to have been honest to the last, he says

that the King's keeping in still with my Lady Castlemaine do show

it; for he never was known to keep two mistresses in his life,

and would never have kept to her had he prevailed any thing with

Mrs. Stewart. She is gone yesterday with her Lord to Cobham. He

did tell me of the ridiculous humour of our King and Knights of

the Garter the other day, who, whereas heretofore their robes

were only to be worn during their ceremonies and service, these,

as proud of their coats, did wear them all day till night, and

then rode into the Park with them on. Nay, and he tells me he

did see my Lord Oxford and Duke of Monmouth in a hackney-coach

with two footmen in the Park, with their robes on; which is a

most scandalous thing, so as all gravity may be said to be lost

among us. By and by we discoursed of Sir Thomas Clifford, whom I

took for a very rich and learned man, and of the great family of

that name. He tells me he is only a man of about seven-score

pounds a-year, of little learning more than the law of a justice

of peace; which he knows well; a parson's son, [Collins states,

that Sir Thomas Clifford's father was a Colonel in the King's

Army during the Scotch Rebellion 1639, and died the same year on

his return from the Northern March.] got to be burgess in a

little borough in the West, and here fell into the acquaintance

of my Lord Arlington, whose creature he is, and never from him; a

man of virtue, and comely, and good parts enough; and hath come

into his place with a great grace, though with a great skip over

the heads of a great many, as Chichly and Denham, and some Lords

that did expect it. By the way, he tells me that of all the

great men of England there is none that endeavours more to raise

those that he takes into favour than my Lord Arlington; and that

on that score he is much more to be made one's patron than my

Lord Chancellor, who never did, nor never will do any thing, but

for money. Certain news of the Dutch being abroad on our coast

with twenty-four great ships. Met my Lady Newcastle going with

her coaches and footmen all in velvet: herself (whom I never saw

before), as I have heard her often described (for all the town-

talk is now-a-days of her extravagancies), with her velvet-cap,

her hair about her ears; many black patches, because of pimples

about her mouth; naked-necked, without any thing about it, and a

black just-au-corps. She seemed to me a very comely woman: but

I hope to see more of her on May-day.

28th. To Deptford, and there I walked down the Yard, Shish and

Cox with me; and discoursed about cleaning of the wet docke, and

heard (which I had before) how, when the docke was made, a ship

of near 500 tons was there found; a ship supposed of Queene

Elizabeth's time, and well wrought, with a great deal of stone

shot in her of eighteen inches diameter, which was shot then in

use: and afterwards meeting with Captain Perriman and Mr. Castle

at Half-way Tree, they tell me of stone-shot of thirty-six inches

diameter, which they shot out of mortar-pieces.

29th. I hear that the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of York's son,

[James, second son to the Duke of York. Born 1663, and created

Duke of Cambridge that year.] is very sick; and my Lord

Treasurer very bad of the stone, and hath been so some days. Sir

G. Carteret tells me my Lord Arlington hath done like a gentleman

by him in all things. He says, if my Lord were here, he were the

fittest man to be Lord Treasurer of any man in England; and he

thinks it might be compassed; for he confesses that the King's

matters do suffer through the inability of this man, who is

likely to die, and he will propound him to the King. It will

remove him from his place at sea, and the King will have a good

place to bestow. He says to me, that he could wish when my Lord

comes that he would think fit to forbear playing as a thing below

him, and which will lessen him, as it do my Lord St. Albans, in

the King's esteem: and as a great secret tells me that he hath

made a match for my Lord Hinchingbroke to a daughter of my Lord

Burlington's, [Richard Boyle second Earl of Cork, created Earl of

Burlington, 1663.] where there is great alliance, 10,000l.

portion; a civil family, and relation to my Lord Chancellor,

whose son hath married one of the daughters: and that my Lord

Chancellor do take it with very great kindness, so that he do

hold himself obliged by it. My Lord Sandwich hath referred it to

my Lord Crewe, Sir G. Carteret, and Mr. Montagu, to end it. My

Lord Hinchingbroke and the ladies know nothing yet of it. It

will, I think, be very happy.

30th, I met with Mr. Pierce, and he tells me the Duke of

Cambridge is very ill and full of spots about his body, that Dr.

Frazier knows not what to think of it.

MAY 1. 1667. To Westminster; in the way meeting many milk-maids

with their garlands upon their pails, dancing with a fiddler

before them; and saw pretty Nelly [Nell Gwynne.] standing at her

lodgings' door in Drury-lane in her smock sleeves and bodice,

looking upon one: she seemed a mighty pretty creature. My Lord

Crewe walked with me, giving me an account of the meeting of the

Commissioners for Accounts, whereof he is one. How some of the

gentlemen, Garraway, Littleton, and others, did scruple at their

first coming there, being called thither to act, as Members of

Parliament, which they could not do by any authority but that of

the Parliament, and therefore desired the King's direction in it,

which was sent for by my Lord Bridgewater, who brought answer,

very short, that the King expected they should obey his

Commission. Then they went on and observed upon a power to be

given them of administering and framing an oath, which they

thought they could not do by any power but Act of Parliament; and

the whole Commission did think fit to have the Judges' opinion in

it, and so drawing up their scruples in writing they all attended

the King, who told them he would send to the Judges to be

answered, and did so; who have, my Lord tells me, met three times

about it, not knowing what answer to give it: and they have met

this week, doing nothing but expecting the solution of the Judges

in this point. My Lord tells me he do believe this Commission

will do more hurt than good: it may undo some accounts, if these

men shall think fit; but it can never clear an account, for he

must come into the Exchequer for all this. Besides, it is a kind

of inquisition that hath seldom ever been granted in England:

and he believes it will never, besides, give any satisfaction to

the People or Parliament, but be looked upon as a forced, packed

business of the King, especially if these Parliament-men that are

of it shall not concur with them; which he doubts they will not,

and therefore wishes much that the King would lay hold of this

fit occasion and let the Commission fall. Then to talk of my

Lord Sandwich, whom my Lord Crewe hath a great desire might get

to be Lord Treasurer if the present Lord should die, as it is

believed he will in a little time; and thinks he can have no

competitor but my Lord Arlington, who, it is given out, desires

it: but my Lord thinks not, for that the being Secretary do keep

him a greater interest with the King than the other would do; at

least do believe that if my Lord would surrender him his Wardrobe

place, it would be a temptation to Arlington to assist my Lord in

getting the Treasurer's. I did object to my Lord that it would

be no place of content, nor safety, nor honour for my Lord, the

State being so indigent as it is, and the King so irregular, and

those about him, that my Lord must be forced to part with any

thing to answer his warrants; and that, therefore, I do believe

the King had rather have a man that may be one of his vicious

caball, than a sober man that will mind the publick, that so they

may sit at cards and dispose of the revenue of the kingdom. This

my Lord was moved at, and said he did not indeed know how to

answer it, and bid me think of it; and so said he himself would

also do. He do mightily cry out of the bad management of our

monies, the King having had so much given him; and yet when the

Parliament do find that the King should have 900,000l. in his

purse by the best account of issues they have yet seen, yet we

should report in the Navy a debt due from the King of 900,000l.:

which I did confess I doubted was true in the first, and knew to

be true in the last, and did believe that there was some great

miscarriages in it: which he owned to believe also, saying, that

at this rate it is not in the power of the kingdom to make a war,

nor answer the King's wants. Thence away to the King's

playhouse, and saw "Love in a Maze:" [Downes mentions this play,

which was never printed, nor is the author known.] but a sorry

play; only Lacy's clowne's part, which he did most admirably

indeed; and I am glad to find the rogue at liberty again. Here

was but little, and that ordinary company. We sat at the upper

bench next the boxes; and I find it do pretty well, and have the

advantage of seeing and hearing the great people, which may be

pleasant when there is good store. Now was only Prince Rupert

and my Lord Lauderdale, and my Lord --, [Probaby Craven.] the

naming of whom puts me in mind of my seeing at Sir Robert Viner's

two or three great silver flagons, made with inscriptions as

gifts of the King to such and such persons of quality as did stay

in town the late great plague, for the keeping things in order in

the town. Thence Sir W. Pen and I in his coach Tiburne way into

the Park, where a horrid dust, and number of coaches, without

pleasure or order. That which we and almost all went for was to

see my Lady Newcastle; which we could not, she being followed and

crowded upon by coaches all the way she went, that nobody could

come near her; only I could see she was in a large black coach

adorned with silver instead of gold, and so white curtains, and

every thing black and white, and herself in her cap. Sir W. Pen

did give me an account this afternoon of his design of buying Sir

Robert Brookes's fine house at Wansted: which I so wondered at,

and did give him reasons against it, which he allowed of: and

told me that he did intend to pull down the house and build a

less, and that he should get 1500l. by the old house, and I know

not what fooleries. But I will never believe he ever intended to

buy it, for my part, though he troubled Mr. Gauden to go and look

upon it, and advise him in it,

3rd. To the Duke of York's chamber, which, as it is now fretted

at the top, and the chimney-piece made handsome, is one of the

noblest and best-proportioned rooms that ever, I think I saw. To

Westminster by coach: the Cofferer [Mr. Ashburnham.] telling us

odd stories how he was dealt with by the men of the Church at

Westminster in taking a lease of them at the King's coming in,

and particularly the devilish covetousness of Dr. Busby.

[Richard Busby, D.D., Master of Westminster School, and in 1660

made a Prebendary of Westminster. Notwithstanding the character

given of him here, he was a liberal benefactor to Christ Church,

Oxford, and Lichfield Cathedral. Ob. 1695,, aged 89.] Took a

turn with my old acquaintance Mr. Pechell, whose red nose makes

me ashamed to be seen with him, though otherwise a good-natured

man. This day the news is come that the fleet of the Dutch, of

about 20 ships, which come upon our coasts upon design to have

intercepted our colliers (but by good luck failed), is gone to

the Frith, and there lies, perhaps to trouble the Scotch

privateers, which have galled them of late very much, it may be

more than all our last year's fleet.

5th. Sir John Robinson tells me he hath now got a street ordered

to be continued, forty feet broad, from Paul's through Cannon-

street to the Tower, which will be very fine. He and others this

day, where I was in the afternoon, do tell me of at least six or

eight fires within these few days; and continually stirs of fire,

and real fires there have been, in one place or other, almost

ever since the late great fire, as if there was a fate sent

people for fire. I walked over the Park to Sir W. Coventry's.

We talked of Tangier, of which he is ashamed; also that it should

put the King to this charge for no good in the world: and now a

man going over that is a good soldier, but a debauched man, which

the place need not to have. And so used these words: "That this

place was to the King as my Lord Carnarvon [Charles Dormer

succeeded his father, who fell at the battle of Newbury; as Earl

of Carnarvon. Ob. s.p. 1709.] says of wood, that it is an

excrescence of the earth provided by God for the payment of

debts. "This day Sir W. Coventry tells me the Dutch fleet shot

some shot, four or five hundred, into Burnt Island in the Frith,

but without any hurt; and so are gone.

7th. To St. James's; but there find Sir W. Coventry gone out

betimes this morning on horseback with the King and Duke of York

to Putny-heath, to run some horses.

8th. In our street, at the Three Tuns Tavern, I find a great

hubbub: and what was it but two brothers had fallen out, and one

killed the other? And who should they be but the two Fieldings?

one whereof, Bazill, was page to my Lady Sandwich; and he hath

killed the other, himself being very drunk, and so is sent to

Newgate.

10th. At noon to Kent's, at the Three Tuns Tavern: and there

the constable of the parish did show us the picklocks and dice

that were found in the dead man's pocket, and but 18d. in money;

and a table-book, wherein were entered the names of several

places where he was to go; and among others his house, where he

was to dine, and did dine yesterday. And after dinner went into

the church, and there saw his corpse with the wound in his left

breast; a sad spectacle, and a broad wound, which makes my hand

now shake to write of it. His brother intending, it seems, to

kill the coachman, who did not please him, this fellow stepped in

and took away his sword; who thereupon took out his knife, which

was of the fashion, with a falchion blade, and a little cross at

the hilt like a dagger; and with that stabbed him. Drove hard

towards Clerkenwell, thinking to have overtaken my Lady

Newcastle, whom I saw before us in her coach, with 100 boys and

girls running looking upon her; but I could, not: and so she got

home before I could come up to her. But I will get a time to see

her.

12th. Walked over the fields to Kingsland, and back again; a

walk, I think, I have not taken these twenty years; but puts me

in mind of my boy's time when I boarded at Kingsland, and used to

shoot with my bow and arrows in these fields.

13th. This morning come Sir H. Cholmly to me for a tally or two;

and tells me that he hears that we are by agreement to give the

King of France Nova Scotia; which he do not like: but I do not

know the importance of it. Sir Philip Warwick do please himself

like a good man to tell some of the good ejaculations of my Lord

Treasurer concerning the little worth of this world, to buy it

with so much pain, and other things fit for a dying man.

14th. To my Lord Chancellor's, where I met Mr. Povy expecting

the coming of the rest of the Commissioners for Tangier. Here I

understand how the two Dukes, both the only sons of the Duke of

York, are sick even to danger; and that on Sunday last they were

both so ill, as that the poor Duchesse was in doubt which would

die: the Duke of Cambridge, of some general disease, the other

little Duke, whose title I know not, of the convulsion fits, of

which he had four this morning. Fear that either of them might

be dead, did make us think that it was the occasion that the

Duke of York and others were not come to the meeting of the

Commission which was designed, and my Lord Chancellor did expect.

And it was pretty to observe how, when my Lord sent down to St.

James's to see why the Duke of York come not, and Mr. Povy, who

went, returned, my Lord did ask (not how the Princes or the Dukes

do, as other people do, but) "How do the Children?" which

methought was mighty great, and like a great man and grandfather.

I find every body mightily concerned for these children, as a

matter wherein the State is much concerned that they should live.

16th. I away with Sir G. Carteret to London, talking all the

way; and he do tell me that the business of my Lord Hinchingbroke

his marriage with my Lord Burlington's daughter, is concluded on

by all friends; and that my Lady is now told of it, and do

mightily please herself with it: which I am mightily glad of.

News still that my Lord Treasurer is so ill as not to be any man

of this world; and it is said that the Treasury shall be managed

by Commission. I would to God Sir G. Carteret, or my Lord

Sandwich, be in it! But the latter is the more fit for it.

16th. This being Holy Thursday, when the boys go our procession

round the parish, we were to go to the Three Tuns Tavern to dine

with the rest of the parish; where all the parish almost was, Sir

Andrew Rickard and others; and of our house, J. Minnes, W.

Batten, W. Pen, and myself: and Mr. Mills did sit uppermost at

the table. Sir John Fredricke [Lord Mayor of London 1662, and

President of Christ's Hospital. His eldest son, John, was

created a Baronet 1723.] and Sir R. Ford did talk of Paul's

School, which, they tell me, must be taken away; and then I fear

it will be long before another place, such as they say is

promised, is found: but they do say that the honour of their

Company [The Mercers' Company, under whose superintendence St.

Paul's school was placed by the Founder.] is concerned in the

doing of it, and that it is a thing that they are obliged to do.

To my Lord Treasurer's, where I find the porter crying, and

suspected it was that my Lord is dead; and, poor Lord! we did

find that he was dead just now. There is a good man gone: and I

pray God that the Treasury may not be worse managed the hand or

hands it shall now be put into; though, for certain, the slowness

(though he was of great integrity) of this man and remissness

have gone as far to undo the nation, as any thing else that hath

happened; and yet, if I knew all the difficulties that he hath

lain under, and his instrument Sir Philip Warwick, I might be

true to another mind. It is remarkable that this afternoon Mr.

Moore come to me, and there among other things did tell me how

Mr. Moyer the merchant, having procured an order from the King

and Duke of York and Council, with the consent of my Lord

Chancellor, and by assistance of Lord Arlington, for the

releasing out of prison his brother Samuel Moyer, who was a great

man in the late times in Haberdashers'-hall, and was engaged

under hand and seal to give the man that obtained it so much in

behalf of my Lord Chancellor; but it seems my Lady Duchesse of

Albemarle had before undertaken it for so much money, but hath

not done it. The Duke of Albemarle did the next day send for

this Moyer, to tell him that notwithstanding this order of the

King and Council's being passed for release of his brother, yet,

if he did not consider the pains of some friends of his, he would

stop that order. This Moyer being an honest, bold man, told him

that he was engaged to the hand that had done the thing to give

him a reward; and more, he could not give, nor could own any

kindness done by his Grace's interest: and so parted. The next

day Sir Edward Savage did take the said Moyer in tax about it,

giving ill words of this Moyer and his brother; which he not

being able to bear, told him he would give to the person that had

engaged him what he promised, and not any thing to any body else;

and that both he and his brother were as honest men as himself or

any man else: and so sent him going, and bid him do his worst.

It is one of the most extraordinary cases that ever I saw or

understood; but it is true.

17th. To Sir R. Viner's with 600 pieces of gold to turn into

silver, for the enabling me to answer Sir G. Carteret's 3000l.;

which he now draws all out of my hand towards the paying for a

purchase he hath made for his son and my Lady Jemimah, in

Northamptonshire, of Sir Samuel Luke, [Sir Samuel Luke was

(according to Granger) the original Hudibras of Butler.] in a

good place: a good house, and near all her friends; which is a

very happy thing.

19th. Great talk of the good end that my Lord Treasurer made;

closing his own eyes, and wetting his mouth, and bidding adieu

with the greatest content and freedom in the world: and is said

to die with the cleanest hands that ever any Lord Treasurer did.

Mr. How come to see us; and, among other things, told us how the

Barristers and Students of Gray's Inne rose in rebellion against

the Benchers the other day; who outlawed them, and a great deal

of do: but now they are at peace again.

20th. Among other news I hear that the Commissioners for the

Treasury were named by the King yesterday; but who they are

nobody could tell: but the persons are the Lord Chancellor, the

two Secretaries, Lord Ashly, and others say Sir W. Coventry and

Sir John Duncomb, but all conclude the Duke of Albemarle: but

reports do differ.