ear　for　certain；　though　I　do　not　yet　believe　it；　that　Sir　W。　Coventry　is　to　be　Secretary　of　State；　and　my　Lord　Arlington　Lord　Treasurer。　　I　only　wish　that　the　latter　were　as　fit　for　the　latter　office　as　the　former　is　for　the　former；　and　more　fit　than　my　Lord　Arlington。　Anon　Sir　W。　Pen　come　and　talked　with　me　in　the　garden；　and　tells　me　that　for　certain　the　Duke　of　Richmond　is　to　marry　Mrs。　Stewart；　he　having　this　day　brought　in　an　account　of　his　estate　and　debts　to　the　King　on　that　account。　　This　day　Mr。　Caesar　told　me　a　pretty　experiment　of　his　of　angling　with　a　minikin；　a　gut…　string　varnished　over；　which　keeps　it　from　swelling；　and　is　beyond　any　hair　for　strength　and　smallness。　　The　secret　I　like　mightily。
  19th。　　It　comes　in　my　mind　this　night　to　set　down　how　a　house　was　the　other　day　in　Bishopsgate…street　blowed　up　with　powder；　a　house　that　was　untenanted；　but；　thanks　be　to　God；　it　did　no　more　hurt；　and　all　do　conclude　it　a　plot。　　This　afternoon　I　am　told　again　that　the　town　do　talk　of　my　Lord　Arlington's　being　to　be　Lord　Treasurer；　and　Sir　W。　Coventry　to　be　Secretary　of　State；　and　that　for　certain　the　match　is　concluded　between　the　Duke　of　Richmond　and　Mrs。　Stewart；　which　I　am　well　enough　pleased　with：　and　it　is　pretty　to　consider　how　his　quality　will　allay　people's　talk；　whereas　had　a　meaner　person　married　her；　he　would　for　certain　have　been　derided　at　first　dash。
  20th。　　To　our　church　to　the　vestry；　to　be　assessed　by　the　late　Poll　Bill；　where　I　am　rated　as　an　Esquire；　and　for　my　office　all　will　come　to　about　50l。　But　not　more　than　I　expected；　nor　so　much　by　a　great　deal　as　I　ought　to　be　for　all　my　offices。　　The　Duke　of　Richmond　and　Mrs。　Stewart　were　betrothed　last　night。　　It　is　strange　how　〃Rycaut's　Discourse　of　Turky；〃　which　before　the　fire　I　was　asked　but　8s。　for；　there　being　all　but　twenty…two　or　thereabouts　burned；　I　did　now　offer　20s。；　and　he　demands　50s。；　and　I　think　I　shall　give　it　him；　though　it　be　only　as　a　monument　of　the　fire。
  21st。　　To　the　Duke　of　York's　playhouse；　where　unexpectedly　I　come　to　see　only　the　young　men　and　women　of　the　house　act；　they　having　liberty　to　act　for　their　own　profit　on　Wednesdays　and　Fridays　this　Lent：　　and　the　play　they　did　yesterday；　being　Wednesday；　was　so　well　taken；　that　they　thought　fit　to　venture　it　publickly　to…　day；　a　play　my　Lord　Falkand's；　＇Henry　Carey；　third　Viscount　Falkland；　M。P；　for　Arundell　1661。　　Ob。　1664。＇　　called　〃The　Wedding　Night；〃　a　kind　of　a　tragedy；　and　some　things　very　good　in　it；　but　the　whole　together；　I　thought；　not　so。　　I　confess　I　was　well　enough　pleased　with　my　seeing　it；　and　the　people　did　do　better　（without　the　great　actors）　than　I　did　expect；　but　yet　far　short　of　what　they　do　when　they　are　there。　　Our　trial　for　a　good　prize　came　on　to…day；　〃The　Phoenix；　worth　2　or　3000l。〃　when　by　and　by　Sir　W。　Batten　told　me　we　had　got　the　day；　which　was　mighty　welcome　news　to　me　and　us　all。　　But　it　is　pretty　to　see　what　money　will　do。　　Yesterday　Walker　＇Sir　W。　Walker。＇　　was　mighty　cold　on　our　behalf；　till　Sir　W。　Batten　promised　him；　if　we　sped　in　this　business　of　the　goods；　a　coach；　and　if　at　the　next　trial　we　sped　for　the　ship；　we　would　give　him　a　pair　of　horses。　　And　he　hath　strove　for　us　to…day　like　a　prince。　　Though　the　Swedes'　Agent　was　there　with　all　the　vehemence　he　could　to　save　the　goods；　but　yet　we　carried　it　against　him。
  23rd。　　At　the　office；　where　Sir　W。　Pen　come；　being　returned　from　Chatham；　from　considering　the　means　of　fortifying　the　river　Medway；　by　a　chain　at　the　stakes；　and　ships　laid　there　with　guns　to　keep　the　enemy　from　coming　up　to　burn　our　ships；　all　our　care　being　now　to　fortify　ourselves　against　their　invading　us。
  24th。　　With　Sir　G。　Carteret　and　Sir　J。　Minnes；　and　they　did　talk　of　my　Lord　Brouncker；　whose　father　it　seems　did　give　Mr。　Ashburnham　and　the　present　Lord　Digby　＇The　Earl　of　Bristol；　frequently　called　in　the　Diary　Lord　Digby；　long　after　he　had　succeeded　to　the　Earldom。＇　　1200l。　to　be　made　an　Irish　lord；　and　swore　the　same　day　that　he　had　not　12d。　left　to　pay　for　his　dinner：　　they　made　great　mirth　at　this；　my　Lord　Brouncker　having　lately　given　great　matter　of　offence　both　to　them　and　us　all；　that　we　are　at　present　mightily　displeased　with　him。　　By　and　by　to　the　Duke　of　York；　where　we　all　met；　and　there　was　the　King　also；　and　all　our　discourse　was　about　fortifying　of　the　Medway　and　Harwich；　which　is　to　be　entrenched　quite　round；　and　Portsmouth：　　and　here　they　advised　with　Sir　Godfrey　Lloyd　and　Sir　Bernard　de　Gunn；　＇Engineer…general；　who　had　been　employed　in　1661　to　construct　the　works　at　Dunkirk。＇　　the　two　great　engineers；　and　had　the　plates　drawn　before　them；　and　indeed　all　their　care　they　now　take　is　to　fortify　themselves；　and　are　not　ashamed　of　it；　for　when　by　and　by　my　Lord　Arlington　come　in　with　letters；　and　seeing　the　King　and　Duke　of　York　give　us　and　the　officers　of　the　Ordnance　directions　in　this　matter；　he　did　move　that　we　might　do　it　as　privately　as　we　could；　that　it　might　not　come　into　the　Dutch　Gazette　presently；　as　the　King's　and　Duke　of　York's　going　down　the　other　day　to　Sheerenesse　was　the　week　after　in　the　Harlem　Gazette。　　The　King　and　Duke　of　York　both　laughed　at　it；　and　made　no　matter；　but　said；　〃Let　us　be　safe；　and　let　them　talk；　for　there　is　nothing　will　trouble　them　more；　nor　will　prevent　their　coming　more；　than　to　hear　that　we　are　fortifying　ourselves。〃　　And　the　Duke　of　York　said　further；　〃What　said　Marshal　Turenne；　when　some　in　vanity　said　that　the　enemies　were　afraid；　for　they　entrenched　themselves？　　'Well；'　says　he；　'I　would　they　were　not　afraid；　for　then　they　would　not　entrench　themselves；　and　so　we　could　deal　with　them　the　better。'〃　　Away　thence；　and　met　with　Sir　H。　Cholmly；　who　tells　me　that　he　do　believe　the　government　of　Tangier　is　bought　by　my　Lord　Allington　for　a　sum　of　money　to　my　Lord　Arlington；　and　something　to　Lord　Bellasses。　　I　did　this　night　give　the　waterman　who　uses　to　carry　me　10s。　at　his　request；　for　the　painting　of　his　new　boat；　on　which　shall　be　my　arms。
  25th。　　Called　at　Mr。　Lilly's；　who　was　working；　and　indeed　his　pictures　are　without　doubt　much　beyond　Mr。　Hales's；　I　think　I　may　say　I　am　convinced：　　but　a　mighty　proud　man　he　is；　and　full　of　state。　　To　the　King's　playhouse；　and　by　and　by　comes　Mr。　Lowther　and　his　wife　and　mine；　and　into　a　box　forsooth；　neither　of　them　being　dressed；　which　I　was　almost　ashamed　of。　　Sir　W。　Pen　and　I　in　the　pit；　and　here　saw　〃The　Mayden　Queene〃　again；　which　indeed　the　more　I　see　the　more　I　like；　and　is　an　excellent　play；　and　so　done　by　Nell　her　merry　part；　as　cannot　be　better　done　in　nature。
  26th。　　To　Exeter　House；　where　the　Judge　was　sitting；　and　there　heard　our　cause　pleaded；　Sir　　Turner；　Sir　W。　Walker；　and　Sir　Ellis　Layton　being　our　counsel　against　Sir　Robert　Wiseman　＇D。C。L。　King's　Advocate　1669。＇　　on　the　other。　　The　second　of　our　three　counsel　was　the　best；　and　indeed　did　speak　admirably；　and　is　a　very　shrewd　man。　　Nevertheless　as　good　as　he　did　make　our　case；　and　the　rest；　yet　when　Wiseman　come　to　argue　（nay；　and　though　he　did　begin　so　sillily　that　we　laughed　in　scorn　in　our　sleeves　at　him；）　he　did　so　state　the　case；　that　the　Judge　＇Sir　Leoline　Jenkins；　Principal　of　Jesus　College；　Oxford；　and　afterwards　made　Judge　of　the　Admiralty　and　the　Prerogative　Court。　　He　was　subsequently　employed　on　several　Embassies；　and　in　1680　succeeded　Henry　Coventry　as　secretary　of　State。　　Ob。　1685；　aged　62。＇　　did　not　think　it　to　decide　the　cause　to…night；　but　took　to　to…morrow；　and　did　stagger　us　in　our　hopes；　so　as　to　make　us　despair　of　the　success。　　I　am　mightily　pleased　with　the　Judge；　who　seems　a　very　rational；　learned；　and　uncorrupt　man；　though　our　success　do　shake　me。
  27th。　　To　the　Castle　Taverne　by　Exeter　House；　and　there　Sir　Ellis　Layton；　whom　I　find　a　wonderful　witty；　ready　man　for　sudden　answers　and　little　tales；　and　sayings　very　extraordinary　witty。　He　did　give　me　a　full　account；　upon　my　demand；　of　this　Judge　of　the　Admiralty；　Judge　Jenkins；　who；　he　says；　is　a　man　never　practised　in　this　Court　but　taken　merely　for　his　merit　and　ability's　sake　from　Trinity　Hall　where　he　had　always　lived；　only　by　accident　the　business　of　the　want　of　a　Judge：　　being　proposed；　the　present　Archbishop　of　Canterbury　sent　for　him　up：　　and　here　he　is　against　the　gre　and　content　of　the　old　Doctors　made　Judge；　but　is　a　very　excellent　man　both　for　judgment　and　temper　（yet　majesty　enough）；　and　by　all　men's　report　not　to　be　corrupted。　After　dinner　to　the　Court；　where　Sir　Ellis　Layton　did　make　a　very　silly　motion　in　our　behalf；　but　did　neither　hurt　nor　good　after　him　Walker　and　Wiseman。　　And　then　the　Judge　did　pronounce　his　sentence；　for　some　a　part　of　the　goods　and　ship；　and　the　freight　of　the　whole　to　be　free　and　returned　and　paid　by　us；　and　the　remaining　（which　was　the　greater　part）　to　be　ours。　　The　loss　of　so　much　troubles　us；　but　we　have　got　a　pretty　good　part；　thanks　be　to　God！　　Received　from　my　brother　the　news　of　my　mother's　dying　on　Monday　about　five　or　six　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　and　that　the　last　time　she　spoke　of　her　children　was　on　Friday　last；　and　her　last　words　were；　〃God　bless　my　poor　Sam！〃　　The　reading；　hereof　did　set　me　a…weeping　heartily。
  29th。　　The　great　streets　in　the　City　are　marked　out　with　piles　drove　into　the　ground；　and　if　ever　it　be　built　in　that　form　wit