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　i