28th。　　By　coach　to　Westminster　Hall；　and　there　do　understand　that　the　business　of　religion　and　the　Act　against　Conventicles　have　so　taken　them　up　all　this　morning；　and　do　still；　that　my　Lord　Sandwich's　business　is　not　like　to　come　on　to…day；　which　I　am　heartily　glad　of。　　This　law　against　Conventicles　is　very　severe；　but　Creed；　whom　I　meet　here；　do　tell　me　that　it　being　moved　that　Papists'　meetings　might　be　included；　the　House　was　divided　upon　it；　and　it　was　carried　in　the　negative；　which　will　give　great　disgust　to　the　people；　I　doubt。　　To　the　King's　house；　and　there　did　see　〃Love　in　a　Maze；〃　wherein　very　good　mirth　of　Lacy　the　clown；　and　Wintershell　the　country…knight；　his　master。
  29th。　　To　White　Hall；　and　there　do　hear　how　Sir　W。　Pen　hath　delivered　in　his　answer；　and　the　Lords　have　sent　it　down　to　the　Commons；　but　they　have　not　yet　read　it　nor　taken　notice　of　it；　so　as　I　believe　they　will　by　design　defer　it　till　they　rise；　that　so　he　by　lying　under　an　impeachment　may　be　prevented　in　his　going　to　sea；　which　will　vex　him；　and　trouble　the　Duke　of　York。　　To　Westminster　Hall；　and　there　met　Mr。　G。　Montagu；　and　walked　and　talked；　who　tells　me　that　the　best　fence　against　the　Parliament's　present　fury　is　delay；　and　recommended　it　to　me　in　my　friends'　business　and　my　own；　if　I　have　any；　and　is　that　that　Sir　W。　Coventry　do　take；　and　will　secure　himself：　　that　the　King　will　deliver　up　all　to　the　Parliament；　and　being　petitioned　the　other　day　by　Mr。　Brouncker　to　protect　him；　with　teares　in　his　eyes　the　King　did　say　he　could　not；　and　bid　him　shift　for　himself；　at　least　till　the　House　is　up。
  30th。　　To　the　Dolphin　Tavern；　there　to　meet　on　neighbours　all　of　the　parish；　this　being　Procession…day；　to　dine。　　And　did：　　and　much　very　good　discourse；　they　being　most　of　them　very　able　merchants；　as　any　in　the　City；　Sir　Andrew　Rickard；　Mr。　Vandeputt；　Sir　John　Fredericke；　Harrington；　and　others。　　They　talked　with　Mr。　Mills　about　the　meaning　of　this　day；　and　the　good　uses　of　it；　and　how　heretofore；　and　yet　in　several　places；　they　do　whip　a　boy　at　each　place　they　stop　at　in　their　procession　stopped　to　talk　with　Mr。　Brisband；　who　gives　me　an　account　of　the　rough　usage　Sir　G。　Carteret　and　his　Counsel；　had　the　other　day　before　the　Commissioners　of　Accounts；　and　what　I　do　believe　we　shall　all　of　us　have　in　a　greater　degree　than　any　he　hath　had　yet　with　them；　before　their　three　years　are　out；　which　are　not　yet　begun；　nor　God　knows　when　they　will；　this　being　like　to　be　no　session　of　Parliament　when　they　now　rise。　　Thus　ends　this　month；　my　wife　in　the　country；　myself　full　of　pleasure　and　expence；　in　some　trouble　for　my　friends；　and　my　Lord　Sandwich　by　the　Parliament；　and　more　for　my　eyes；　which　are　daily　worse　and　worse；　that　I　dare　not　write　or　read　almost　any　thing。　　The　Parliament　going　in　a　few　days　to　rise：　　myself　so　long　without　accounting　now　（for　seven　or　eight　months；　I　think；　or　more；）　that　I　know　not　what　condition　almost　I　am　in　as　to　getting　or　spending　for　all　that　time；　which　troubles　me；　but　I　will　soon　do　it。　　The　kingdom　in　an　ill　state　through　poverty：　　a　fleet　going　out；　and　no　money　to　maintain　it　or　set　it　out；　seamen　yet　unpaid；　and　mutinous　when　pressed　to　go　out　again；　our　office　able　to　do　little；　nobody　trusting　us；　nor　we　desiring　any　to　trust　us；　and　yet　have　not　money　for　any　thing；　but　only　what　particularly　belongs　to　this　fleet　going　out；　and　that　but　lamely　too。　　The　Parliament　several　months　upon　an　Act　for　300；000l。　but　cannot　or　will　not　agree　upon　it；　but　do　keep　it　back；　in　spite　of　the　King's　desires　to　hasten　it；　till　they　can　obtain　what　they　have　a　mind　in　revenge　upon　some　men　for　the　late　ill　managements；　and　he　is　forced　to　submit　to　what　they　please；　knowing　that　without　it　he　shall　have　no　money；　and　they　as　well　that　if　they　give　the　money　the　King　will　suffer　them　to　do　little　more：　　and　then　the　business　of　religion　do　disquiet　every　body；　the　Parliament　being　vehement　against　the　Nonconformists；　while　the　King　seems　to　be　willing　to　countenance　them。　　So　we　are　all　poor　and　in　pieces；　God　help　us！　while　the　peace　is　like　to　go　on　between　Spain　and　France；　and　then　the　French　may　be　apprehended　able　to　attack　us。　　So　God　help　us！
  MAY　1；　1668。　　Met　my　cosen　Thomas　Pepys　of　Deptford；　and　took　some　turns　with　him；　and　he　is　mightily　troubled　for　this　Act　now　passed　against　Conventicles；　and　in　few　words　and　sober　do　lament　the　condition　we　are　in　by　a　negligent　prince　and　a　mad　Parliament。　　To　the　King's　playhouse；　and　there　saw　〃The　Surprizall；〃　and　a　disorder　in　the　pit　by　its　raining　in　from　the　cupola；　at　top。　　I　understand　how　the　Houses　of　Commons　and　Lords　are　like　to　disagree　very　much　about　the　business　of　the　East　India　Company；　and　one　Skinner；　to　the　latter　of　which　the　Lords　have　awarded　5000l。　from　the　former；　for　some　wrong　done　him　heretofore；　and　the　former　appealing　to　the　Commons；　the　Lords　vote　their　petition　a　libell；　and　so　there　is　like　to　follow　very　hot　work。
  3rd。　　To　church；　where　I　saw　Sir　A。　Rickard；　though　he　be　under　the　Black　Rod；　by　order　of　the　Lords'　House；　upon　the　quarrel　between　the　East　India　Company　and　Skinner；　which　is　like　to　come　to　a　very　great　heat　between　the　two　Houses。　　To　Old…street；　to　see　Sir　Thomas　Teddiman；　who　is　very　ill　in　bed　of　a　fever；　got；　I　believe；　by　the　fright　the　Parliament　have　put　him　into　of　late。
  3th。　　Creed　and　I　to　the　Duke　of　York's　playhouse；　and　there　coming　late；　up　to　the　balcony…box；　where　we　find　my　Lady　Castlemaine　and　several　great　ladies；　and　there　we　sat　with　them；　and　I　saw　〃The　Impertinents〃　once　more；　now　three　times；　and　the　three　only　days　it　hath　been　acted。　　And　to　see　the　folly　how　the　house　do　this　day　cry　up　the　play　more　than　yesterday！　　and　I　for　that　reason　like　it；　I　find；　the　better　too。　　By　Sir　Positive　At…　all；　I　understand　is　meant　Sir　Robert　Howard。　　My　Lady　pretty　well　pleased　with　it：　　but　here　I　eat；　close　to　her　fine　woman；　Willson；　who　indeed　is　very　handsome；　but；　they　say；　with　child　by　the　King。　　I　asked；　and　she　told　me　this　was　the　first　time　her　Lady　had　seen　it；　I　having　a　mind　to　say　something　to　her。　One　thing　of　familiarity　I　observed　in　my　Lady　Castlemaine：　　she　called　to　one　of　her　women；　another　that　sat　by　this；　for　a　little　patch　off　of　her　face；　and　put　it　into　her　mouth　and　wetted　it；　and　so　clapped　it　upon　her　own　by　the　side　of　her　mouth；　I　suppose　she　feeling　a　pimple　rising　there。　　Thence　with　Creed　to　Westminster　Hall；　and　there　met　with　cosen　Roger；　who　tells　me　of　the　great　conference　this　day　between　the　Lords　and　Commons　about　the　business　of　the　East　India　Company；　as　being　one　of　the　weightiest　conferences　that　hath　been；　and　maintained　as　weightily。　　I　am　heartily　sorry　I　was　not　there；　it　being　upon　a　mighty　point　of　the　privileges　of　the　subjects　of　England　in　regard　to　the　authority　of　the　House　of　Lords；　and　their　being　condemned　by　them　as　the　Supreme　Court；　which　we　say　ought　not　to　be　but　by　appeal　from　other　Courts。　　And　he　tells　me　that　the　Commons　had　much　the　better　of　them　in　reason　and　history　there　quoted；　and　believes　the　Lords　will　let　it　fall。
  6th。　　I　understand　that　my　Lord　St。　John　is　meant　by　Mr。　Woodrocke　in　〃The　Impertinents。〃　　Home　to　put　up　things　against　to…morrow's　carrier　for　my　wife；　and；　among　others；　a　very　fine　salmon　pie　sent　me　by　Mr。　Steventon；　W。　Hewer's　uncle。
  7th。　　To　the　King's　House；　where　going　in　for　Knipp；　the　play　being　done；　I　did　see　Beck　Marshall　come　dressed　off　the　stage；　and　look　mighty　fine　and　pretty；　and　noble：　　and　also　Nell　in　her　boy's　clothes；　mighty　pretty。　　Put　Lord！　　their　confidence；　and　how　many　men　do　hover　about　them　as　soon　as　they　come　off　the　stage；　and　how　confident　they　are　in　their　talk！　　Here　was　also　Haynes；　the　incomparable　dancer　of　the　King's　house。　　Then　we　abroad　to　Marrowbone；　and　there　walked　in　the　garden；　the　first　time　I　ever　was　there；　and　a　pretty　place　it　is。
  8th。　　The　Lords'　House　did　sit　till　eleven　o'clock　last　night　about　the　business　of　difference　between　them　and　the　Commons　in　the　matter　of　the　East　India　Company。　　To　my　Lord　Crewe's；　and　there　dined；　where　Mr。　Case　the　minister；　a　dull　fellow　in　his　talk；　and　all　in　the　Presbyterian　manner；　a　great　deal　of　noise　and　a　kind　of　religious　tone；　but　very　dull。　　After　dinner　my　Lord　and　I　together。　　He　tells　me　he　hears　that　there　are　great　disputes　like　to　be　at　Court　between　the　factions　of　the　two　women；　my　Lady　Castlemaine　and　Mrs。　Stewart；　who　is　now　well　again；　（the　King　having　made　several　public　visits　to　her；）　and　like　to　come　to　Court：　　the　other　is　to　go　to　Barkeshire…house；　which　is　taken　for　her；　and　they　say　a　Privy…seal　is　passed　for　5000l。　for　it。　　He　believes　all　will　come　to　ruin。　　Thence　I　to　White　Hall；　where　the　Duke　of　York　gone　to　the　Lords'　House；　where　there　is　to　be　a　conference　on　thee　Lords'　side　with　the　Commons　this　afternoon；　giving　in　their　Reasons；　which　I　would　have　been　at；　but　could　not；　for　going　by　direction　to　the　Prince's　chamber；　there　Brouncker；　W。　Pen；　and　Mr。　Wren　and　I　met；　and　did　our　business　with　the　Duke　of　York。　　But；　Lord！　　to　see　how　this　play　of　Sir　Positive　At…all　in　abuse　of　Sir　Robert　Howard　do　take；　all　the　Duke's　and　every　body's　talk　being　of　that；　and　telling　more　stories