great　trouble　is　brought　among　the　people　that　endeavoured　it；　and　thought　they　had　compassed　it。　　But　Lord！　　to　think　that　at　this　time　the　King　should　mind　no　other　cares　but　these！　　We　tells　me　that　my　Lord　of　Canterbury　is　a　mighty　stout　man；　and　a　man　of　a　brave；　high　spirit；　and　cares　not　for　this　disfavour　that　he　is　under　at　Court；　knowing　that　the　King　cannot　take　away　his　profits　during　his　life；　and　therefore　do　not　value　it。
  28th。　　To　the　King's　house；　and　there　saw　〃The　Mad　Couple；〃　which　is　but　an　ordinary　play；　but　only　Nell's　and　Hart's　mad　parts　are　most　excellent　done；　but　especially　her's：　　which　makes　it　a　miracle　to　me　to　think　how　ill　she　do　any　serious　part；　as　the　other　day；　just　like　a　fool　or　changeling；　and；　in　a　mad　part；　do　beyond　all　imitation　almost。　　It　pleased　us　mightily　to　see　the　natural　affection　of　a　poor　woman；　the　mother　of　one　of　the　children　brought　on　the　stage：　　the　child　crying　she　by　force　got　upon　the　stage；　and　took　up　her　child　and　carried　it　away　off　of　the　stage　from　Hart。　　Many　fine　faces　here　to…day。　　I　am　told　to…　day；　which　troubles　me；　that　great　complaint　is　made　upon　the　'Change；　among　our　merchants；　that　the　very　Ostend　little　pickaroon　men…of…war　do　offer　violence　to　our　merchant…men　and　search　them；　beat　our　masters；　and　plunder　them；　upon　pretence　of　carrying　Frenchmen's　goods。
  29th。　　At　night　comes　Mrs。　Turner　to　see　us；　and　there；　among　other　talk；　she　tells　me　that　Mr。　William　Pen；　who　is　lately　come　over　from　Ireland；　is　a　Quaker　again；　or　some　very　melancholy　thing；　that　he　cares　for　no　company；　nor　comes　into　any　which　is　a　pleasant　thing；　after　his　being　abroad　so　long；　and　his　father　such　a　hypocritical　rogue；　and　at　this　time　an　atheist。
  30th。　　Sir　G。　Carteret　and　I　alone　did　talk　of　the　ruinous　condition　we　are　in；　the　King　being　going　to　put　out　of　the　Council　so　many　able　men；　such　as　my　Lord　Anglesy；　Ashly；　Hollis；　Secretary　Morrice　（to　bring　in　Mr。　Trevor；　＇John　Trevor；　knighted　by　Charles　II。　who　made　him　Secretary　of　State；　1668；　which　office　he　held　till　his　death　in　1672。＇）　　and　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury　and　my　Lord　Bridgewater。　　He　tells　me　that　this　is　true；　only　the　Duke　of　York　do　endeavour　to　hinder　it；　and　the　Duke　of　York　himself　did　tell　him　so；　that　the　King　and　the　Duke　of　York　do　not　in　company　disagree；　but　are　friendly；　but　that　there　is　a　core　in　their　hearts；　he　doubts；　which　is　not　to　be　easily　removed；　for　these　men　so　suffer　only　for　their　constancy　to　the　Chancellor；　or　at　least　from　the　King's　ill…will　against　him。　　He　do　suggest　that　something　is　intended　for　the　Duke　of　Monmouth；　and；　it　may　be；　against　the　Queene　also：　　that　we　are　in　no　manner　sure　against　an　invasion　the　next　year：　　that　the　Duke　of　Buckingham　do　rule　all　now；　and　the　Duke　of　York　comes　indeed　to　the　Caball；　but　signifies　little　there。　　That　this　new　faction　do　not　endure；　nor　the　King；　Sir　W。　Coventry；　but　yet　that　he　is　so　usefull　that　they　cannot　be　without　him；　but　that　he　is　not　now　called　to　the　Caball。　　That　my　Lord　of　Buckingham；　Bristoll；　and　Arlington　do　seem　to　agree　in　these　things；　but　that　they　do　not　in　their　hearts　trust　one　another；　but　do　drive　several　ways　all　of　them。　　In　short；　he　do　bless　himself　that　he　is　no　more　concerned　in　matters　now；　and　the　hopes　he　hath　of　being　at　liberty；　when　his　accounts　are　over；　to　retire　into　the　country。　That　he　do　give　over　the　kingdom　for　wholly　lost。　　This　day　I　got　a　little　rent　in　my　new　fine　camlett　cloak　with　the　latch　of　Sir　G。　Carteret's　door；　but　it　is　darned　up　at　my　tailor's；　that　it　will　be　no　great　blemish　to　it；　but　it　troubled　me。　　I　could　not　but　observe　that　Sir　Philip　Carteret　＇Sir　G。　Carteret's　eldest　son；　mentioned　before；　who　had　been　knighted。＇　would　fain　have　given　me　my　going　into　a　play；　but　yet　when　he　came　to　the　door　he　had　no　money　to　pay　for　himself　I　having　refused　to　accept　of　it　for　myself；　but　was　fain；　and　I　perceive　he　is　known　there；　and　do　run　upon　the　score　for　plays；　which　is　a　shame；　but　I　perceive　always　he　is　in　want　of　money。　　In　the　pit　I　met　with　Sir　Ch。　North　（formerly　Mr。　North；　who　was　with　my　Lord　at　sea）；　and　he；　of　his　own　accord；　was　so　silly　as　to　tell　me　he　is　married；　and　for　her　quality；　being　a　Lord's　daughter；　＇Catherine；　daughter　to　William　Lord　Grey　of　Warke；　and　widow　of　Sir　Edward　Moseley。＇　　（my　Lord　Grey）　and　person　and　beauty；　and　years　and　estate　and　disposition；　he　is　the　happiest　man　in　the　world。　　I　am　sure　he　is　an　ugly　fellow；　but　a　good　scholar　and　sober　gentleman；　and　heir　to　his　father；　now　Lord　North；　the　old　Lord　being　dead。
  31st。　　Thus　ends　the　year；　with　great　happiness　to　myself　and　family　as　to　health　and　good　condition　in　the　world；　blessed　be　God　for　it！　　only　with　great　trouble　to　my　mind　in　reference　to　the　publick；　there　being　little　hopes　left　but　that　the　whole　nation　must　in　a　very　little　time　be　lost；　either　by　troubles　at　home；　the　Parliament　being　dissatisfied；　and　the　King　led　into　unsettled　councils　by　some　about　him；　himself　considering　little；　and　divisions　growing　between　the　King　and　Duke　of　York；　or　else　by　foreign　invasion；　to　which　we　must　submit　if　any　at　this　bad　point　of　time　should　come　upon　us；　which　the　King　of　France　is　well　able　to　do。　　These　thoughts；　and　some　cares　upon　me；　concerning　my　standing　in　this　office　when　the　Committee　of　Parliament　shall　come　to　examine　our　Navy　matters；　which　they　will　now　shortly　do。　　I　pray　God　they　may　do　the　kingdom　service　therein；　as　they　will　have　sufficient　opportunity　of　doing　it！
  JANUARY　1；　1667…8。　　Dined　with　my　Lord　Crewe；　with　whom　was　Mr。　Browne；　Clerk　of　the　House　of　Lords；　and　Mr。　John　Crewe。　　Here　was　mighty　good　discourse；　as　there　is　always：　　and　among　other　things　my　Lord　Crewe　did　turn　to　a　place　in　the　Life　of　Sir　Philip　Sidney；　wrote　by　Sir　Fulke　Greville；　which　do　foretell　the　present　condition　of　this　nation；　in　relation　to　the　Dutch；　to　the　very　degree　of　a　prophecy；　and　is　so　remarkable　that　I　am　resolved　to　buy　one　of　them；　it　being　quite　through　a　good　discourse。　　Here　they　did　talk　much　of　the　present　cheapness　of　corne；　even　to　a　miracle；　so　as　their　farmers　can　pay　no　rent；　but　do　fling　up　their　lands；　and　would　pay　in　corne：　　but　（which　I　did　observe　to　my　Lord；　and　he　liked　well　of　it）　our　gentry　are　grown　so　ignorant　in　every　thing　of　good　husbandry　that　they　know　not　how　to　bestow　this　corne；　which；　did　they　understand　but　a　little　trade；　they　would　be　able　to　joyne　together　and　know　what　markets　there　are　abroad；　and　send　it　thither；　and　thereby　ease　their　tenants　and　be　able　to　pay　themselves。　　They　did　talk　much　of　the　disgrace　the　Archbishop　is　fallen　under　with　the　King；　and　the　rest　of　the　Bishops　also。　　Thence　I　after　dinner　to　the　Duke　of　York's　playhouse；　and　there　saw　〃Sir　Martin　Mar…all；〃　which　I　have　seen　so　often；　and　yet　am　mightily　pleased　with　it；　and　think　it　mighty　witty；　and　the　fullest　of　proper　matter　for　mirth　that；　ever　was　writ；　and　I　do　clearly　see　that　they　do　improve　in　their　acting　of　it。　　Here　a　mighty　company　of　citizens；　prentices；　and　others；　and　it　makes　me　observe；　that　when　I　began　first　to　be　able　to　bestow　a　play　on　myself；　I　do　not　remember　that　I　saw　so　many　by　half　of　the　ordinary　prentices　and　mean　people　in　the　pit　at　2s。　6d。　a…piece　as　now；　I　going　for　several　years　no　higher　than　the　12d。　and　then　the　18d。　places；　though　I　strained　hard　to　go　in　then　when　I　did：　　so　much　the　vanity　and　prodigality　of　the　age　is　to　be　observed　in　this　particular。　Thence　I　to　White　Hall；　and　there　walked　up　and　down　the　house　a　while；　and　do　hear　nothing　of　any　thing　done　further　in　this　business　of　the　change　of　Privy…counsellors：　　only　I　hear　that　Sir　G。　Savile；　＇Of　Rufford；　co。　Notts；　Bart。；　created　Lord　Savile　of　Eland；　and　Viscount　Halifax；　1668；　Earl　of　Halifax；　1679；　and　Marquis　of　Halifax；　1682。　　Ob。　1695。＇　　one　of　the　Parliament　Committee　of　nine　for　examining　the　Accounts；　is　by　the　King　made　a　Lord；　the　Lord　Halifax；　which；　I　believe；　will　displease　the　Parliament。　　By　and　by　I　met　with　Mr。　Brisband；　and　having　it　in　my　mind　this　Christmas　to　do　（what　I　never　can　remember　that　I　did）　go　to　see　the　gaming　at　the　groome…porters　（I　having　in　my　coming　from　the　playhouse　stepped　into　the　two　Temple…halls；　and　there　saw　the　dirty　prentices　and　idle　people　playing；　wherein　I　was　mistaken；　in　thinking　to　have　seen　gentlemen　of　quality　playing　there）；　he　did　lead　me　thither；　where；　after　staying　an　hour；　they　began　to　play；　at　about　eight　at　night。　　And　to　see　the　formality　of　the　groome…porter；　who　is　their　judge　of　all　disputes　in　play　and　all　quarrels　that　may　arise　therein；　and　how　his　under…officers　are　there　to　observe　true　play　at　each　table；　and　to　give　new　dice；　is　a　consideration　I　never　could　have　thought　had　been　in　the　world；　had　I　not　now　seen　it。　　And　so　I　having　enough　for　once；　refusing　to　venture；　though　Brisband　pressed　me　hard；　went　away。
  2nd。　　Attended　the　King　and　the　Duke　of　York　in　the　Duke　of　York's　lodgings；　with　the　rest　of　the　officers　and　many　of　the　commanders　of　the　fleet；　and　some　of　our　master　shipwrights；　to　discourse　the　business　of　having　the　topmasts　of　ships　made　to　lower　abaft　of　the　mainmast；　a　business　I　understand　not；　and　so　can　give　no　good　account