er　a　pretty　gentleman；　too　good　for　Peg。　　Sir　W。　Pen　was　much　troubled　to　hear　the　song　I　sung；　〃The　New　Droll；〃　it　touching　him　home。
  5th。　　With　my　wife　to　the　Duke's　house；　and　there　saw　〃Mustapha；〃　＇A　tragedy；　by　Roger　Earl　of　Orrery。＇　　a　most　excellent　play。
  6th。　　Young　Michell　and　I；　it　being　an　excellent　frosty　day；　did　walk　out。　　He　showed　me　the　baker's　house　in　Pudding…lane；　where　the　late　great　fire　begun：　　and　thence　all　along　Thames…street；　where　I　did　view　several　places；　and　so　up　by　London　Wall　by　Blackfriars　to　Ludgate；　and　thence　to　Bridewell；　which　I　find　to　have　been　heretofore　an　extraordinary　good　house；　and　a　fine　coming　to　it　before　the　house　by　the　bridge　was　built。
  7th。　　Lord　Brouncker　tells　me　that　my　Lady　Denham　is　at　last　dead。　　Some　suspect　her　poisoned；　but　it　will　be　best　known　when　her　body　is　opened　to…day；　she　dying　yesterday　morning。　　The　Duke　of　York　is　troubled　for　her；　but　hath　declared　he　will　never　have　another　public　mistress　again；　which　I　shall　be　glad　of；　and　would　the　King　would　do　the　like。　　He　tells　me　how　the　Parliament　is　grown　so　jealous　of　the　King's　being　unfayre　to　them　in　the　business　of　the　Bill　for　examining　Accounts；　Irish　Bill；　and　the　business　of　the　Papists；　that　they　will　not　pass　the　business　for　money　till　they　see　themselves　secure　that　those　Bills　will　pass；　which　they　do　observe　the　Court　to　keep　off　till　all　the　Bills　come　together；　that　the　King　may　accept　what　he　pleases；　and　what　he　pleases　to　object　to。　　He　tells　me　how　Mr。　Henry　Howard　of　Norfolke　hath　given　our　Royal　Society　all　his　grandfather's　library：　　which　noble　gift　they　value　at　2000l。；　and　gives　them　accommodation　to　meet　in　at　his　house　（Arundell　House）；　they　being　now　disturbed　at　Gresham　College。　　To　the　Duke's　house；　and　saw　〃Macbeth；〃　which　though　I　saw　it　lately；　yet　appears　a　most　excellent　play　in　all　respects；　but　especially　in　divertisement；　though　it　be　a　deep　tragedy；　which　is　a　strange　perfection　in　a　tragedy；　it　being　most　proper　here；　and　suitable。
  9th。　　In　a　hackney…coach　to　White　Hall；　the　way　being　most　horribly　bad　upon　the　breaking　up　of　the　frost；　so　as　not　to　be　passed　almost。　　I　do　hear　by　my　Lord　Brouncker；　that　for　certain　Sir　W。　Coventry　hath　resigned　his　place　of　Commissioner　up；　which　I　believe　he　hath　done　upon　good　grounds　of　security　to　himself　from　all　the　blame　which　must　attend　our　office　this　next　year；　but　I　fear　the　King　will　suffer　by　it。　　Thence　to　Westminster　Hall；　and　there　to　the　conference　of　the　Houses　about　the　word　〃Nusance；〃　which　the　Commons　would　have；　and　the　Lords　will　not；　in　the　Irish　Bill。　　The　Commons　do　it　professedly　to　prevent　the　King's　dispensing　with　it；　which　Sir　Robert　Howard　and　others　did　expressly　repeat　often：　　viz。；　〃that　no　King　ever　could　do　any　thing　which　was　hurtful　to　his　people。〃　　Now　the　Lords　did　argue　that　it　was　an　ill　precedent；　and　that　which　will　ever　hereafter　be　used　as　a　way　of　preventing　the　King's　dispensation　with　acts；　and　therefore　rather　advise　to　pass　the　Bill　without　that　word；　and　let　it　go　accompanied　with　a　petition　to　the　King　that　he　will　not　dispense　with　it；　this　being　a　more　civil　way　to　the　King。　　They　answered　well；　that　this　do　imply　that　the　King　should　pass　their　Bill；　and　yet　with　design　to　dispense　with　it；　which　is　to　suppose　the　King　guilty　of　abusing　them。　　And　more；　they　produce　precedents　for　it；　namely；　that　against　new　buildings；　and　about　leather；　where　the　word　〃Nusance〃　is　used　to　the　purpose：　　and　further；　that　they　do　not　rob　the　King　of　any　right　he　ever　had；　for　he　never　had　a　power　to　do　hurt　to　his　people；　nor　would　exercise　it；　and　therefore　there　is　no　danger　in　the　passing　this　Bill　of　imposing　on　his　prerogative；　and　concluded　that　they　think　they　ought　to　do　this；　so　as　the　people　may　really　have　the　benefit　of　it　when　it　is　passed；　for　never　any　people　could　expect　so　reasonably　to　be　indulged　something　from　a　King；　they　having　already　given　him　so　much　money　and　are　likely　to　give　more。　　Thus　they　broke　up；　both　adhering　to　their　opinions；　but　the　Commons　seemed　much　more　full　of　judgment　and　reason　than　the　Lords。　　Then　the　Commons　made　their　Report　to　the　Lords　of　their　vote　that　their　Lordships'　proceedings　in　the　Bill　for　examining　Accounts　were　unparliamentary；　they　having；　while　a　Bill　was　sent　up　to　them　from　the　Commons　about　the　business；　petitioned　his　Majesty　that　he　would　do　the　same　thing　by　his　Commission。　　They　did　give　their　reasons：　　viz。　that　it　had　no　precedent；　that　the　King　ought　not　to　be　informed　of　any　thing　passing　in　the　Houses　till　it　comes　to　a　Bill；　that　it　will　wholly　break　off　all　correspondence　between　the　two　Houses；　and　in　the　issue　wholly　infringe　the　very　use　and　being　of　Parliaments。　　Thence　to　Faythorne；　and　bought　a　head　or　two；　one　of　them　my　Lord　of　Ormond's；　the　best　I　ever　saw。　　To　Arundell　House；　where　first　the　Royal　Society　meet　by　the　favour　of　Mr。　Harry　Howard；　who　was　there。　　And　here　was　a　great　meeting　of　worthy　noble　persons；　but　my　Lord　Brouncker；　who　pretended　to　make　a　congratulatory　speech　upon　their　coming　hither；　and　great　thanks　to　Mr。　Howard；　did　do　it　in　the　worst　manner　in　the　world。
  14th。　　Sir　W。　Batten　tells　me　the　Lords　do　agree　at　last　with　the　Commons　about　the　word　〃Nusance〃　in　the　Irish　Bill；　and　do　desire　a　good　correspondence　between　the　two　Houses；　and　that　the　King　do　intend　to　prorogue　them　the　last　of　this　month。
  16th。　　Sir　W。　Coventry　came　to　me　aside　in　the　Duke's　chamber　to　tell　that　he　had　not　answered　part　of　a　late　letter　of　mine；　because　LITTERA　SCRIPTA　MANET。　　About　his　leaving　the　office；　he　tells　me；　it　is　because　he　finds　that　his　business　at　Court　will　not　permit　him　to　attend　it；　and　then　he　confesses　that　he　seldom　of　late　could　come　from　it　with　satisfaction；　and　therefore　would　not　take　the　King's　money　for　nothing。　　I　professed　my　sorrow　for　it；　and　prayed　the　continuance　of　his　favour；　which　he　promised；　I　do　believe　he　hath　acted　like　a　very　wise　man　in　reference　to　himself；　but　I　doubt　it　will　prove　ill　for　the　King；　and　for　the　office。　　Prince　Rupert；　I　hear；　is　very　ill；　yesterday　given　over；　but　better　to…day。　　Sir　Stephen　Fox；　among　other　things；　told　me　his　whole　mystery　in　the　business　of　the　interest　he　pays　as　Treasurer　for　the　Army。　　They　give　him　12d。　per　pound　quite　through　the　Army；　with　condition　to　be　paid　weekly；　This　he　undertakes　for　his　own　private　credit；　and　to　be　paid　by　the　King　at　the　end　of　every　four　months。　　If　the　King　pay　him　not　at　the　end　of　every　four　months；　then；　for　all　the　time　he　stays　longer；　my　Lord　Treasurer　by　agreement　allows　him　eight　per　cent。　per　annum　for　the　forbearance。　　So　that；　in　fine；　he　hath　about　twelve　per　cent。　from　the　King；　and　the　Army；　for　fifteen　or　sixteen　months'　interest；　out　of　which　he　gains　soundly；　his　expense　being　about　130；000l。　per　annum；　and　hath　no　trouble　in　it；　compared　（as　I　told　him）　to　the　trouble　I　must　have　to　bring　in　an　account　of　interest。　　Talk　there　is　of　a　letter　to　come　from　Holland；　desiring　a　place　of　treaty；　but　I　do　doubt　it。　This　day　I　observe　still　in　many　places　the　smoking　remains　of　the　late　fire：　　the　ways　mighty　bad　and　dirty。　　This　night　Sir　R。　Ford　told　me　how　this　day；　at　Christ　church　Hospital；　they　have　given　a　living　of　200l。　per　annum　to　Mr。　Sanchy；　my　old　acquaintance；　which　I　wonder　at；　he　commending　him　mightily；　but　am　glad　of　it。　　He　tells　me　too　how　the　famous　Stillingfleete　was　a　Blue…coat　boy。
  18th。　　This　morning　come　Captain　Cocke　to　me；　and　tells　me　that　the　King　comes　to　the　House　this　day　to　pass　the　Poll　Bill　and　the　Irish　Bill；　and　that；　though　the　Faction　is　very　froward　in　the　House；　yet　all　will　end　well　there。　　But　he　says　that　one　had　got　a　Bill　ready　to　present　in　the　House　against　Sir　W。　Coventry　for　selling　of　places；　and　says　he　is　certain　of　it；　and　how　he　was　withheld　from　doing　it。　　He　says　that　the　Vice…chamberlaine　is　now　one　of　the　greatest　men　in　England　again；　and　was　he　that　did　prevail　with　the　King　to　let　the　Irish　Bill　go　with　the　word　〃Nusance。〃　　He　told　me　that　Sir　G。　Carteret's　declaration　of　giving　double　to　any　man　that　will　prove　that　any　of　his　people　have　demanded　or　taken　any　thing　for　forwarding　the　payment　of　the　wages　of　any　man；　（of　which　he　sent　us　a　copy　yesterday；　which　we　approved　of；）　is　set　up；　among　other　places；　upon　the　House　of　Lords'　door。　　I　do　not　know　how　wisely　this　is　done。　Sir　W。　Pen　told　me　this　night　how　the　King　did　make　them　a　very　sharp　speech　in　the　House　of　Lords　to…day；　saying　that　he　did　expect　to　have　had　more　Bills；　that　he　purposes　to　prorogue　them　on　Monday　come　se'nnight；　that　whereas　they　have　unjustly　conceived　some　jealousys　of　his　making　a　peace；　he　declares　he　knows　of　no　such　thing　or　treaty：　　and　so　left　them。　　But　with　so　little　effect；　that　as　soon　as　he　came　into　the　house；　Sir　W。　Coventry　moved；　that　now　the　King　hath　declared　his　intention　of　proroguing　them；　it　would　be　loss　of　time　to　go　on　with　the　thing　they　were　upon　when　they　were　called　to　the　King；　which　was　the　calling　over　the　defaults　of　Members　appearing　in　the　House；　for　that　before　any　person　could　now　come　or　be　brought　to　town；　the　House　would　be　up。　　Yet　the　Faction　did　desire　to　delay　time；　and　contend　so