g　in　presently　after　us　my　Lady　Aberguenny　＇Probably　Mary；　daughter　of　Thomas　Clifford；　Esq。；　of　Dunton　Walet；　Essex；　wife　to　George；　ninth　Lord　Abergavenny。＇　　and　other　ladies；　we　back　again　by　coach。
  22nd。　　This　evening　come　Mr。　Alsopp　the　King's　brewer；　with　whom　I　spent　an　hour　talking　and　bewailing　the　posture　of　things　at　present；　the　King　led　away　by　half…a…dozen　men；　that　none　of　his　serious　servants　and　friends　can　come　at　him。　　These　are　Lauderdale；　Buckingham；　Hamilton；　FitzHarding；　（to　whom　he　hath；　it　seems；　given　12；000l。　per　annum　in　the　best　part　of　the　King's　estate）；　and　that　the　old　Duke　of　Buckingham　could　never　get　of　the　King。　　Projers　is　another；　＇Edward　Progers；　Esq。；　the　King's　Valet…de…Chambre；　and　the　confidant　of　his　amours。　　Ob。　1713；　aged　ninety…six。＇　　and　Sir　H。　Bennett。　　He　loves　not　the　Queene　at　all；　but　is　rather　sullen　to　her；　and　she；　by　all　reports；　incapable　of　children。　　He　is　so　fond　of　the　Duke　of　Monmouth；　that　every　body　admires　it；　and　he　says　that　the　Duke　hath　said；　that　he　would　be　the　death　of　any　man　that　says　the　King　was　not　married　to　his　mother：　　though　Alsopp　says；　it　is　well　known　that　she　was　a　common　strumpet　before　the　King　was　acquainted　with　her。　　But　it　seems；　he　says；　that　the　King　is　mighty　kind　to　these　his　bastard　children；　and　at　this　day　will　go　at　midnight　to　my　Lady　Castlemaine's　nurses；　and　take　the　child　and　dance　it　in　his　arms：　　that　he　is　not　likely　to　have　his　tables　up　again　in　his　house；　for　the　crew　that　are　about　him　will　not　have　him　come　to　common　view　again；　but　keep　him　obscurely　among　themselves。　　He　hath　this　night；　it　seems；　ordered　that　the　Hall　（which　there　is　a　ball　to　be　in　to…night　before　the　King）　be　guarded；　as　the　Queene…Mother's　is；　by　his　Horse　Guards；　whereas　heretofore　they　were　by　the　Lord　Chamberlain　or　Steward；　and　their　people。　　But　it　is　feared　they　will　reduce　all　to　the　soldiery；　and　all　other　places　be　taken　away；　and　what　is　worst　of　all；　will　alter　the　present　militia；　and　bring　all　to　a　flying　army。　　That　my　Lord　Lauderdale；　being　Middleton's　enemy；　＇John　Earl　of　Middleton；　General　of　the　Forces　in　Scotland。＇　　and　one　that　scorns　the　Chancellor　even　to　open　affronts　before　the　King；　hath　got　the　whole　power　of　Scotland　into　his　hand；　whereas　the　other　day　he　was　in　a　fair　way　to　have　had　his　whole　estate；　and　honour；　and　life；　voted　away　from　him。　　That　the　King　hath　done　himself　all　imaginable　wrong　in　the　business　of　my　Lord　Antrim；　＇Randall；　second　Earl；　and　first　Marquis　of　Antrim。　　Ob。　1673。＇　in　Ireland；　who；　though　he　was　the　head　of　rebels；　yet　he　by　his　letter　owns　to　have　acted　by　his　father's　and　mother's　and　his　commissions：　　but　it　seems　the　truth　is；　he　hath　obliged　himself　upon　the　clearing　of　his　estate；　to　settle　it　upon　a　daughter　of　the　Queene…Mother's　（by　my　Lord　Germin；　＇Earl　of　St。　Albans。＇　I　suppose；）　in　marriage　be　it　to　whom　the　Queene　pleases：　　which　is　a　sad　story。　　It　seems　a　daughter　of　the　Duke　of　Lenox's　was；　by　force；　going　to　be　married　the　other　day　at　Somerset　House；　to　Harry　Germin；　but　she　got　away　and　run　to　the　King；　and　he　says　he　will　protect　her。　　She　is；　it　seems；　very　near　akin　to　the　King。　　Such　mad　doings　there　are　every　day　among　them！　　There　was　a　French　book　in　verse；　the　other　day；　translated　and　presented　to　the　Duke　of　Monmouth　in　such　a　high　stile；　that　the　Duke　of　York；　he　tells　me；　was　mightily　offended　at　it。　　The　Duke　of　Monmouth's　mother's　brother　hath　a　place　at　Court；　and　being　a　Welchman；　（I　think　he　told　me；）　will　talk　very　broad　of　the　King's　being　married　to　his　sister。　　The　King　did　the　other　day；　at　the　Council；　commit　my　Lord　Digby's　＇George；　Lord　Digby；　2nd　Earl　of　Bristol；　who　had　been　Secretary　of　State　in　1643；　but　by　changing　his　religion　while　abroad；　at　the　instigation　of　Don　John　of　Austria；　incapacitated　himself　from　being　restored　to　that　office；　and　in　consequence　of　the　disappointment；　which　he　imputed　to　the　interference　of　the　Lord　Chancellor；　conspired　and　effected　his　ruin。　　He　was　installed　K。G。　in　1661；　and　died　1676。＇　　chaplin；　and　steward；　and　another　servant；　who　went　upon　the　process　begun　there　against　their　lord；　to　swear　that　they　saw　him　at　church；　and　receive　the　Sacrament　as　a　Protestant；　（which；　the　Judges　said；　was　sufficient　to　prove　him　such　in　the　eye　of　the　law）；　the　King；　I　say；　did　commit　them　all　to　the　Gate…house；　notwithstanding　their　pleading　their　dependance　upon　him；　and　the　faith　they　owed　him　as　their　lord；　whose　bread　they　eat。　　And　that　the　King　should　say；　that　he　would　soon　see　whether　he　was　King；　or　Digby。　　That　the　Queene…mother　had　outrun　herself　in　her　expences；　and　is　now　come　to　pay　very　ill；　or　run　in　debt　the　money　being　spent　that　she　received　for　leases。　　He　believes　there　is　not　any　money　laid　up　in　bank；　as　I　told　him　some　did　hope；　but　he　says；　from　the　best　informers　he　can　assure　me　there　is　no　such　thing；　nor　any　body　that　should　look　after　such　a　thing；　and　that　there　is　not　now　above　80；000l。　of　the　Dunkirke　money　left　in　stock。　　That　Oliver　the　year　when　he　spent　1；400；000l。　in　the　Navy　did　spend　in　the　whole　expence　of　the　kingdom　2；600；000l。　　That　all　the　Court　are　mad　for　a　Dutch　war；　but　both　he　and　I　did　concur；　that　it　was　a　thing　rather　to　be　dreaded　than　hoped　for；　unless　by　the　French　King's　falling　upon　Flanders；　they　and　the　Dutch　should　be　divided。　　That　our　Embassador　had；　it　is　true；　an　audience；　but　in　the　most　dishonourable　way　that　could　be；　for　the　Princes　of　the　Blood　（though　invited　by　our　Embassador；　which　was　the　greatest　absurdity　that　ever　Embassador　committed　these　400　years）　were　not　there；　and　so　were　not　said　to　give　place　to　our　King's　Embassador。　　And　that　our　King　did　openly　say；　the　other　day　in　the　Privy　Chamber；　that　he　would　not　be　hectored　out　of　his　right　and　pre…eminences　by　the　King　of　France；　as　great　as　he　was。　That　the　Pope　is　glad　to　yield　to　a　peace　with　the　French　（as　the　news…book　says；）　upon　the　basest　terms　that　ever　was。　　That　the　talk　which　these　people　about　our　King；　that　I　named　before；　have；　is　to　tell　him　how　neither　priviledge　of　Parliament　nor　City　is　any　thing；　but　that　his　will　is　all；　and　ought　to　be　so：　and　their　discourse；　it　seems；　when　they　are　alone；　is　so　base　and　sordid；　that　it　makes　the　eares　of　the　very　gentlemen　of　the　back　stairs　（I　think　he　called　them）　to　tingle　to　hear　it　spoke　in　the　King's　hearing；　and　that　must　be　very　bad　indeed。　　That　my　Lord　Digby　did　send　to　Lisbon　a　couple　of　priests；　to　search　out　what　they　could　against　the　Chancellor　concerning　the　match；　as　to　the　point　of　his　knowing　before…hand　that　the　Queene　was　not　capable　of　bearing　children；　and　that　something　was　given　her　to　make　her　so。　　But　as　private　as　they　were；　when　they　come　thither　they　were　clapped　up　prisoners。　　That　my　Lord　Digby　endeavours　what　he　can　to　bring　the　business　into　the　House　of　Commons；　hoping　there　to　master　the　Chancellor；　there　being　many　enemies　of　his　there：　　but　I　hope　the　contrary。　　That　whereas　the　late　King　did　mortgage　Clarendon　＇Clarendon　Park　near　Salisbury。＇　　to　somebody　for　20；000l。；　and　this　to　have　given　it　to　the　Duke　of　Albemarle；　and　he　sold　it　to　my　Lord　Chancellor；　whose　title　of　Earldome　is　fetched　from　thence；　the　King　hath　this　day　sent　his　order　to　the　Privy　Seale　for　the　payment　of　this　20；000l。　to　my　Lord　Chancellor；　to　clear　the　mortgage。　　Ireland　in　a　very　distracted　condition　about　the　hard　usage　which　the　Protestants　meet　with；　and　the　too　good　which　the　Catholiques。　　And　from　all　together；　God　knows　my　heart；　I　expect　nothing　but　ruin　can　follow；　unless　things　are　better　ordered　in　a　little　time。
  23rd。　　This　day；　by　the　blessing　of　God；　I　have　lived　thirty…one　years　in　the　world：　　and；　by　the　grace　of　God；　I　find　myself　not　only　in　good　health　in　every　thing；　and　particularly　as　to　the　stone；　but　only　pain　upon　taking　cold；　and　also　in　a　fair　way　of　coming　to　a　better　esteem　and　estate　in　the　world；　than　ever　I　expected。　　But　I　pray　God　give　me　a　heart　to　fear　a　fall；　and　to　prepare　for　it。
  24th　（Ash　Wednesday）。　　To　the　Queene's　chapel；　where　I　staid　and　saw　their　masse；　till　a　man　come　and　bid　me　go　out　or　kneel　down：　so　I　did　go　out。　　And　thence　to　Somerset　House；　and　there　into　the　chapel；　where　Monsieur　d'Espagne　＇Probably　author　of　a　small　volume　called　〃Shibboleth；　ou；　Reformation　de　quelques　Passages　de　la　Bible；　per　Jean　d'Espagne；　Ministre　du　St。　Evangile；〃　in　the　Pepysian　Collection；　printed　1653；　and　dedicated　to　Cromwell。＇　　used　to　preach。　　But　now　it　is　made　very　fine；　and　was　ten　times　more　crouded　than　the　Queene's　chapel　at　St。　James's：　which　I　wonder　at。　　Thence　down　to　the　garden　of　Somerset　House；　and　up　and　down　the　new　building；　which　in　every　respect　will　be　mighty　magnificent　and　costly。
  27th。　　Sir　Martin　Noell　told　us　the　dispute　between　him；　as　farmer　of　the　Additional　Duty；　and　the　East　India　Company；　whether　callico　be　linnen　or　no：　　which　he　says　it　is；　having　been　ever　esteemed　so：　　they　say　it　is　made　of　cotton　woole；　and　grows　upon　trees；　not　like　flax　or　hemp。　　But　it　was　carried　against　the　Company；　though　they　stand　out　against　the　verdict。
  28th　（Lord's　day）。　　Up　and　walked　to　Paul's；　and　by　chance　it　was　an　extraordinary　day　for　the　Readers　of　the　In