23rd This afternoon, the King having news of the Princesse being come to Margatte, he and the Duke of York went down thither in barges to her.

24th I arose from table and went to the Temple church, where I had appointed Sir W Batten to meet him, and there at Sir Heneage Finch Solliciter General’s chambers, before him and Sir W Wilde, Recorder of London (whom we sent for from his chamber) we were sworn justices of peace for Middlesex, Essex, Kent, and Southampton, with which honour I did find myself mightly pleased, though I am wholly ignorant in the duties of a justice of peace.

28th I did send for a cup of tee (a China drink) of which I never had drank before, and went away (the King and the Princesse coming up the river this afternoon as we were at our pay) My Lord told me how the ship that brought the Princesse and him (the Tredagh) did knock six times upon the Kentish Knock, which put them in great fear for the ship, but got off well He told me also how the King had knighted Vice-admiral Lawson and Sir Richard Stayner.

29th This day or yesterday, I hear, Prince Rupert¹⁵⁹ is come to Court, but welcome to nobody.

October 2nd At Will’s I met with Mr Spicer, and with him to the Abbey to see them at vespers There I found but a thin congregation.

3rd To my Lord’s, who sent a great iron chest to White Hall, and I saw it carried into the King’s closet, where I saw most incomparable pictures Among the rest a book open upon a desk, which I durst have sworn was a reall book Back again to my Lord, and dined all alone with him, who did treat me with a great deal of respect, and after dinner did discourse an hour with me, saying that he believed that he might have any thing that he would ask of the King This day I heard the Duke speak of a great design that he and my Lord of Pembroke have, and a great many others, of sending a venture to some parts of Africa to dig for gold ore there They intend to admit as many as will venture their money, and so make themselves a company £250 is the lowest share for every man But I do not find that my Lord do much like it.

4th I and Lieut Lambert to Westminster Abbey, where we saw Dr Frewen¹⁶⁰ translated to the Archbishoprick of York Here I saw the Bishops of Winchester,¹⁶¹ Bangor,¹⁶² Rochester,¹⁶³ Bath and Wells,¹⁶⁴ and Salisbury,¹⁶⁵ all in their habits, in King Henry Seventh’s chapel But, Lord at their going out, how people did most of them look upon them as strange creatures, and few with any kind of love or respect.

6th Col Slingsby and I at the office getting a catch ready for the Prince de Ligne to carry his things away today, who is now going home again I was to give my Lord an account of the stacions and victualls of the fleet, in order to the choosing of a fleet fit for him to take to sea, to bring over the Queen.

7th (Lord’s Day) To White Hall on foot calling at my father’s to change my long black cloake for a short one (long cloakes being now quite out), but he being gone to church, I could not get one I heard Dr Spurstow¹⁶⁶ preach before the King a poor dry sermon, but a very good anthem of Captn Cooke’s afterwards To my Lord’s and dined with him, he all dinner-time talking French to me, and telling me the story how the Duke of York hath got my Lord Chancellor’s daughter with child, and that she do lay it to him, and that for certain he did promise her marriage, and had signed it with his blood, but that he by stealth had got the paper out of her cabinett And that the King would have him to marry her, but that he will not So that the thing is very bad for the Duke, and them all, but my Lord do make light of it, as a thing that he believes is not a new thing for the Duke to do abroad After dinner to the Abbey, where I heard them read the church-service, but very ridiculously A poor cold sermon of Dr Lamb’s, one of the prebends, in his habitt, come afterwards, and so all ended.

9th This morning Sir W Batten with Coll Birch to Deptford to pay off two ships Sir W Pen and I staid to do business, and afterward together to White Hall, where I went to my Lord, and saw in his chamber his picture, very well done, and am with child till I get it copied out, which I hope to do when he is gone to sea.