er　Hall；　where　I　met　with　Mr。　Pierce；　surgeon：　　and　among　other　things　he　asked　me　seriously　whether　I　knew　any　thing　of　my　Lord's　being　out　of　favour　with　the　King；　and　told　me；　that　for　certain　the　King　do　take　mighty　notice　of　my　Lord's　living　obscurely　in　a　corner　not　like　himself；　and　becoming　the　honour　that　he　is　come　to。　　I　was　sorry　to　hear；　and　the　truth　is；　from　my　Lord's　discourse　among　his　people　（which　I　am　told）　of　the　uncertainty　of　princes'　favour；　and　his　melancholy　keeping　from　Court；　I　am　doubtful　of　some　such　thing；　but　I　seemed　wholly　strange　to　him　in　it；　but　will　make　my　use　of　it。　　We　told　me　also　how　loose　the　Court　is；　nobody　looking　after　business；　but　every　man　his　lust　and　gain；　and　how　the　King　is　now　become　besotted　upon　Mrs　Stewart；　that　he　gets　into　corners；　and　will　be　with　her　half　an　hour　together　kissing　her　to　the　observation　of　all　the　world；　and　she　now　stays　by　herself　and　expects　it；　as　my　Lady　Castlemaine　did　used　to　do；　to　whom　the　King；　he　says；　is　still　kind；　so　as　now　and　then　he　goes　to　her　as　he　believes；　but　with　no　such　fondness　as　he　used　to　do。　　But　yet　it　is　thought　that　this　new　wench　is　so　subtle；　that　it　is　verily　thought　if　the　Queene　had　died；　he　would　have　married　her。　　Mr。　Blackburne　and　I　fell　to　talk　of　many　things；　wherein　he　was　very　open　to　me：　　first；　in　that　of　religion；　he　makes　it　greater　matter　of　prudence　for　the　King　and　Council　to　suffer　liberty　of　conscience；　and　imputes　the　loss　of　Hungary　to　the　Turke　from　the　Emperor's　denying　them　this　liberty　of　their　religion。　　He　says　that　many　pious　ministers　of　the　word　of　God；　some　thousands　of　them；　do　now　beg　their　bread：　　and　told　me　how　highly　the　present　clergy　carry　themselves　every　where　so　as　that　they　are　hated　and　laughed　at　by　every　body；　among　other　things；　for　their　excommunications；　which　they　send　upon　the　least　occasions　almost　that　can　be。　　And　I　am　convinced　in　my　judgement；　not　only　from　his　discourse；　but　my　thoughts　in　general；　that　the　present　clergy　will　never　heartily　go　down　with　the　generality　of　the　commons　of　England；　they　have　been　so　used　to　liberty　and　freedom；　and　they　are　so　acquainted　with　the　pride　and　debauchery　of　the　present　clergy。　　He　did　give　me　many　stories　of　the　affronts　which　the　clergy　receive　in　all　places　of　England　from　the　gentry　and　ordinary　persons　of　the　parish。　　He　do　tell　me　what　the　City　thinks　of　General　Monk；　as　of　a　most　perfidious　man　that　hath　betrayed　every　body；　and　the　King　also；　who；　as　he　thinks；　and　his　party；　and　so　I　have　heard　other　good　friends　of　the　King　say；　it　might　have　been　better　for　the　King　to　have　had　his　hands　a　little　bound　for　the　present；　than　be　forced　to　bring　such　a　crew　of　poor　people　about　him；　and　be　liable　to　satisfy　the　demands　of　every　one　of　them。　　He　told　me　that　to　his　knowledge；　（being　present　at　every　meeting　at　the　Treaty　at　the　Isle　of　Wight；）　that　the　old　King　did　confess　himself　over…ruled　and　convinced　in　his　judgement　against　the　Bishopps；　and　would　have　suffered　and　did　agree　to　exclude　the　service　out　of　the　churches；　nay　his　own　chapell；　and　that　he　did　always　say；　that　this　he　did　not　by　force；　for　that　he　would　never　abate　one　inch　by　any　violence；　but　what　he　did　was　out　of　his　reason　and　judgement。　　He　tells　me　that　the　King　by　name；　with　all　his　dignities；　is　prayed　for　by　them　that　they　call　Fanatiques；　as　heartily　and　powerfully　as　in　any　of　the　other　churches　that　are　thought　better：　　and　that；　let　the　King　think　what　he　will；　it　is　them　that　must　help　him　in　the　day　of　warr。　For　so　generally　they　are　the　most　substantiall　sort　of　people；　and　the　soberest；　and　did　desire　me　to　observe　it　to　my　Lord　Sandwich；　among　other　things；　that　of　all　the　old　army　now　you　cannot　see　a　man　begging　about　the　streets；　but　what？　　You　shall　have　this　captain　turned　a　shoemaker；　the　lieutenant；　a　baker；　this　a　brewer；　that　a　haberdasher；　this　common　soldier；　a　porter；　and　every　man　in　his　apron　and　frock；　&c。；　as　if　they　had　never　done　anything　else：　　whereas　the　other　go　with　their　belts　and　swords；　swearing　and　cursing；　and　stealing；　running　into　people's　houses；　by　force　oftentimes；　to　carry　away　something；　and　this　is　the　difference　between　the　temper　of　one　and　the　other；　and　concludes　（and　I　think：　　with　some　reason；）　that　the　spirits　of　the　old　parliament　soldiers　are　so　quiet　and　contented　with　God's　providences；　that　the　King　is　safer　from　any　evil　meant　him　by　them　one　thousand　times　more　than　from　his　own　discontented　Cavalier。　　And　then　to　the　publick　management　of　business：　　it　is　done；　as　he　observes；　so　loosely　and　so　carelessly；　that　the　kingdom　can　never　be　happy　with　it；　every　man　looking　after　himself；　and　his　own　lust　and　luxury；　and　that　half　of　what　money　the　Parliament　gives　the　King　is　not　so　much　as　gathered。　　And　to　the　purpose　he　told　me　how　the　Bellamys　（who　had　some　of　the　northern　counties　assigned　them　for　their　debt　for　the　petty　warrant　victnalling）　have　often　complained　to　him　that　they　cannot　get　it　collected；　for　that　nobody　minds；　or　if　they　do；　they　won't　pay　it　in。　　Whereas　（which　is　a　very　remarkable　thing；）　he　hath　been　told　by　some　of　the　Treasurers　at　Warr　here　of　late；　to　whom　the　most　of　the　120；000l。　monthly　was　paid；　that　for　most　months　the　payments　were　gathered　so　duly；　that　they　seldom　had　so　much　or　more　than　40s。　or　the　like　short　in　the　whole　collection；　whereas　now　the　very　Commissioners　for　Assessments　and　other　publick　payments　are　such　persons；　and　those　that　they　choose　in　the　country　so　like　themselves；　that　from　top　to　bottom　there　is　not　a　man　carefull　of　any　thing；　or　if　he　be；　is　not　solvent；　that　what　between　the　beggar　and　the　knave；　the　King　is　abused　the　best　part　of　all　his　revenue。　　We　then　talked　of　the　Navy；　and　of　Sir　W。　Pen's　rise　to　be　a　general。　　We　told　me　he　was　always　a　conceited　man；　and　one　that　would　put　the　best　side　outward；　but　that　it　was　his　pretence　of　sanctity　that　brought　him　into　play。　　Lawson；　and　Portman；　and　the　fifth…monarchy　men；　among　whom　he　was　a　great　brother；　importuned　that　he　might　be　general；　and　it　was　pleasant　to　see　how　Blackburne　himself　did　act　it；　how　when　the　Commissioners　of　the　Admiralty　would　enquire　of　the　captains　and　admirals　of　such　and　such　men；　how　they　would　with　a　sigh　and　casting　up　the　eyes　say；　〃such　a　man　fears　the　Lord；〃　or；　〃I　hope　such　a　man　hath　the　Spirit　of　God。〃　　But　he　tells　me　that　there　was　a　cruel　articling　against　Pen　after　one　fight；　for　cowardice；　in　putting　himself　within　a　coyle　of　cables；　of　which　he　had　much　ado　to　acquit　himself：　　and　by　great　friends　did　it；　not　without　remains　of　guilt；　but　that　his　brethren　had　a　mind　to　pass　it　by；　and　Sir　H。　Vane　did　advise　him　to　search　his　heart；　and　see　whether　this　fault　or　a　greater　sin　was　not　the　occasion　of　this　so　great　tryall。　　And　he　tells　me；　that　what　Pen　gives　out　about　Cromwell's　sending　and　entreating　him　to　go　to　Jamaica；　is　very　false；　he　knows　the　contrary；　besides；　the　Protector　never　was　a　man　that　needed　to　send　for　any　man；　specially　such　a　one　as　he；　twice。　　He　tells　me　that　the　business　of　Jamaica　did　miscarry　absolutely　by　his　pride；　and　that　when　he　was　in　the　Tower　he　would　cry　like　a　child。　　And　that　just　upon　the　turne；　when　Monk　was　come　from　the　North　to　the　City；　and　did　begin　to　think　of　bringing　in　the　King；　Pen　was　then　turned　Quaker。　　That　Lawson　was　never　counted　any　thing　but　only　a　seaman；　and　a　stout　man；　but　a　false　man；　and　that　now　he　appears　the　greatest　hypocrite　in　the　world。　　And　Pen　the　same。　　He　tells　me　that　it　is　much　talked　of；　that　the　King　intends　to　legitimate　the　Duke　of　Monmouth；　and　that　neither　he；　nor　his　friends　of　his　persuasion；　have　any　hopes　of　getting　their　consciences　at　Liberty　but　by　God　Almighty's　turning　of　the　King's　heart；　which　they　expect；　and　are　resolved　to　live　and　die　in　quiet　hopes　of　it；　but　never　to　repine；　or　act　any　thing　more　than　by　prayers　towards　it。　　And　that　not　only　himself　but；　all　of　them　have；　and　are　willing　at　any　time　to　take　the　oaths　of　Allegiance　and　Supremacy。　　Mr。　Blackburne　observed　further　to　me；　some　certain　notice　that　he　had　of　the　present　plot；　so　much　talked　of；　that　he　was　told　by　Mr。　Rushworth；　＇John　Rushworth；　Clerk　assistant　to　the　House　of　Commons；　and　author　of　the　Historical　Collections。　　Ob。　1690。＇　how　one　Captain　Oates；　a　great　discoverer；　did　employ　several　to　bring　and　seduce　others　into　a　plot；　and　that　one　of　his　agents　met　with　one　that　would　not　listen　to　him；　nor　conceal　what　he　had　offered　him；　but　so　detected　the　trapan。　　He　also　did　much　insist　upon　the　cowardice　and　corruption　of　the　King's　guards　and　militia。
  11th。　　At　noon　to　the　Coffee…house；　were　with　Dr。　Allen　some　good　discourse　about　physick　and　chymistry。　　And　among　other　things；　I　telling　him　what　Dribble　the　German　Doctor　do　offer　of　an　instrument　to　sink　ships；　he　tells　me　that　which　is　more　strange；　that　something　made　of　gold；　which　they　call　in　chymistry　AURUM　FULMINANS；　a　grain；　I　think　he　said；　of　it　put　into　a　silver　spoon　and　fired；　will　give　a　blow　like　a　musquett；　and　strike　a　hole　through　the　silver　spoon　downward；　without　the　least　force　upward；　and　this　he　can　make　a　cheaper　experiment　of；　he　says；　with　iron　prepared。
  15th。　　This　day　bein