had left him My Lord told me, that the last words that he parted with the Protector with (when he went to the Sound), were, that he should rejoice more to see him in his grave at his return home, than that he should give way to such things as were then in hatching, and afterwards did ruine him and that the Protector said, that whatever G Montagu, my Lord Broghill,¹¹³ Jones, and the Secretary, would have him to do he would do it be it what it would.

22nd To my Lord, where much business With him to White Hall, where the Duke of York not being up, we walked a good while in the Shield Gallery Mr Hill (who for these two or three days hath constantly attended my Lord) told me of an offer of £500 for a Baronet’s dignity, which I told my Lord of in the balcone of this gallery, and he said he would think of it My dear friend Mr Fuller of Twickenham and I dined alone at the Sun Tavern, where he told me how he had the grant of being Dean of St Patrick’s, in Ireland, and I told him my condition, and both rejoiced one for another Thence to my Lord’s and had the great coach to Brigham’s, who told me how my Lady Monk deals with him and others for their places, asking him £500 though he was formerly the King’s coach-maker, and sworn to it.

23rd To my Lord’s lodgings, where Tom Guy come to me, and there staid to see the King touch people for the King’s evil But he did not come at all, it rayned so, and the poor people were forced to stand all the morning in the rain in the garden Afterward he touched them in the banquetting-house With my Lord, to my Lord Frezendorfe’s,¹¹⁴ where he dined today He told me that he had obtained a promise of the Clerke of the Acts place for me, at which I was glad.

25th With my Lord at White Hall all the morning I spoke with Mr Coventry about my business, who promised me all the assistance I could expect Dined with young Mr Powell, lately come from the Sound, being amused at our great charges here, and Mr Southerne, now Clerke to Mr Coventry, at the Leg in King- street Thence to the Admiralty, where I met Mr Turner, of the Navy-office, who did look after the place of Clerke of the Acts He was very civil to me, and I to him, and shall be so There come a letter from my Lady Monk to my Lord about it this evening, but he refused to come to her, but meeting in White Hall, with Sir Thomas Clarges, her brother, my Lord returned answer, that he could not desist in my business, and that he believed that General Monk would take it ill if my Lord should name the officers in his army, and therefore he desired to have the naming of one officer in the fleete With my Lord by coach to Mr Crewe’s, and very merry by the way, discoursing of the late changes and his good fortune Thence home, and then with my wife to Dorset-House, to deliver a list of the names of the justices of peace for Huntingdonshire.

26th My Lord dined at his lodgings all alone today I went to Secretary Nicholas to carry him my Lord’s resolutions about his title, which he had chosen, and that is Portsmouth.

To Backwell¹¹⁵ the goldsmith’s, and there we chose a £100 worth of plate for my Lord to give Secretary Nicholas.

27th With my Lord to the Duke, where he spoke to Mr Coventry to despatch my business of the Acts, in which place every body gives me joy, as if I were in it, which God send.

28th To Sir G Downing, the first visit I have made him since he come He is so stingy a fellow I care not to see him. I quite cleared myself of his office, and did give him liberty to take any body in After all this to my Lord, who lay a-bed till eleven o’clock, it being almost five before he went to-bed, they supped so late last night with the King This morning I saw poor Bishop Wren¹¹⁶ going to Chappel, it being a thanksgiving day for the King’s returne.

29th Up and to White Hall, where I got my warrant from the Duke to be Clerke of the Acts Also I got my Lord’s warrant from the Secretary for his honour of Earle of Portsmouth, and Viscount Montagu of Hinchingbroke So to my Lord, to give him an account of what I had done Then to Sir Geffery Palmer,¹¹⁷ who told me that my Lord must have some good Latinist to make the preamble to his Patent, which must express his late service in the best terms that he can, and he told me in what high flaunting terms Sir J Greenville had caused his to be done, which he do not like, but that Sir Richard Fanshawe¹¹⁸ had