To White Hall, thinking there to have seen the Duchess 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 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 Queen of Sheba: but I lost my labour, for she did not come this night. There have been two fires in the City within this week.

12th. Coming home, saw my door and hatch open, left so by Luce, our cookmayde, which so vexed me, that I did give her a kick in our entry, and offered a blow at her, and was seen doing so by Sir. W. Pen's footboy, which did vex me to the heart, because I know he will be telling their family of it; though I did put on presently a very pleasant face to the boy, and spoke kindly to him, as one without passion, so as it may be he might not think I was angry, but I was troubled at it. So away 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 Trea

1 The word is Sweden in the manuscript.

surer 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 into 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 came 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 came into England. I did pacify all I could, and then away by water home, there to write letters and things for the dispatch of Balty away this day to sea; and after dinner he did go, I having given him much good counsell; and I have great hopes that he will make good use of it, and be a good man, for I find him willing to take pains and very sober. All the afternoon getting off of hand my papers, which, by the late holidays and my laziness, were grown too many upon my hands, to my great trouble, and therefore at it as long as my eyes would give me leave, and then singing in the garden with great pleasure.

13th. Wrote to my father, who, I am glad to hear, is at some ease again, and I long to have him in town, that I may see what can be done for him here; for I would fain do all I can, that I may have him live, and take pleasure in my doing well in the world.

14th. (Lord's day.) With my wife to church, and after dinner took out my wife, and the two Mercers, and two of our mayds, Barker and Jane, and over the water to the Jamaica House,' where I never was before, and there the girls did run for wagers over the bowling-green; and there, with much pleasure, spent little, and so home.

15th. Called up by Sir H. Cholmly, who tells me that my Lord Middleton 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, the best that ever I 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, and Playford's new Catch-book, that hath a great many new fooleries

in it.

16th. Home to dinner, and in haste to carry my 1 The site of the house here alluded to was probably in Jamaica Street, Rotherhithe.

2 This play was never printed, nor is it known to exist.

3 A younger son of the first Earl of Berkshire, brother to Sir Robert Howard, and brother-in-law to Dryden.

4 The edition of 1666, containing eight books instead of five, with a Life by Izaak Walton.

wife to see the new play I saw yesterday, she not knowing it. But there, contrary to expectation, find "The Silent Woman." However, in; and there Knipp came into the pit. I took her by me, and here we met with Mrs. Horsley, the pretty woman -an acquaintance of Mercer's, whose house is burnt. 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 Moone2 went and got leave for them to act again, but not this play. The King mighty angry; and it was bitter indeed, but very true 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. Thence took them all to the Cake-house, in Southampton Market-place, where Pierce told us the story how, in good earnest, the King is offended with the Duke of Richmond's marrying, and Mrs. Stewart sending the King his jewels again. As he tells it, it is the noblest romance and example of a brave lady that ever I read in my life. Pretty to hear them talk of yesterday's play, and I durst not own to my wife that I had seen it.

17th. With the two Sir Williams by coach to the Duke of York. In our way, in Tower Street, we

' In "The Change of Crownes."

2 "Michael Mohun, the actor, mentioned Nov. 20, 1660. He is described as Major, in the Dram. Pers. of Dryden's "Assignation" as late as 1673.

3 Afterwards called Bloomsbury Market. The following advertisement was inserted in "The Intelligencer" of 23rd May, 1664: -"These are to give notice to all persons, that the King's most excellent Majesty hath granted to the Right Hon. the Earl of Southampton, one market to be held by the said Earl, his heirs, and assignes for ever, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, in every week, at Bloomsbury, in the parish of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, in the county of Middlesex."

saw Desbrough' walking on foot: who is now no more a prisoner, and looks well, and just as he used to do heretofore. Then took my wife up and to the King's playhouse, and saw a piece of "Rolla," a play I like not much, but much good acting in it: the house very empty.

18th. With my wife to the Duke of York's house, and there saw "The Wits," a play I formerly loved, and is now corrected and enlarged: but, though I like the acting, yet I like not much in the play now. The Duke of York and W. Coventry gone to Portsmouth, makes me thus to go to plays.

19th. To the play-house, where we saw "Macbeth," which, though I have seen it often, yet is it one of the best plays for a stage, and variety of dancing and musique, that ever I saw. My wife tells me that she finds by W. Hewer that my people do observe my minding my pleasures more than usual, which I confess, and am ashamed of, and so from this day take upon me to leave it till Whit-Sunday. While we were sitting in the garden comes Mrs. Turner to advise about her son, the Captain, when I did give her the best advice I could, to look out for some land employment for him, a peace being at hand, when few ships will be employed and very many, and these old Captains, to be provided for. Then to other talk and about Sir W. Pen's being to buy Wansted House of Sir Robert Brookes; and I dare be hanged if ever he could mean to buy that great house, that knows not how to furnish one that is not the tenth part so big.

20th. At noon dined, and with my wife to the King's house, but there found the bill torn down and no play acted, and so being in the humour to see

1 Major-General John Desborough, Cromwell's brother-in-law, and one of his Council of State, who had been promoted to the Chancellorship of Ireland by his nephew Richard.