7th To the Hall, where in the Palace I saw Monk’s soldiers abuse Billing and all the Quakers, that were at a meeting-place there, and indeed the soldiers did use them very roughly and were to blame. This day Mr Crew told me that my Lord St John is for a free Parliament, and that he is very great with Monk, who hath now the absolute command and power to do any thing that he hath a mind to do.

8th Before I was out of my bed, I heard the soldiers very busy in the morning, getting their horses ready when they lay at Hilton’s, but I knew not then their meaning in so doing. In the Hall I understand how Monk is this morning gone into London with his army, and Mr Fage told me that he do believe that Monk is gone to secure some of the Common-council of the City, who were very high yesterday there, and did vote that they would not pay any taxes till the House was filled up I went to my office, where I wrote to my Lord after I had been at the Upper Bench, where Sir Robert Pye this morning came to desire his discharge from the Tower, but it could not be granted I called at Mr Harper’s, who told me how Monk had this day clapt up many of the Common-council, and that the Parliament had voted that he should pull down their gates and portcullisses, their posts and their chains, which he do intend to do, and do lie in the City all night.

To Westminster Hail, where I heard an action very finely pleaded between my Lord Dorset³³ and some other noble persons, his lady and other ladies of quality being there, and it was about £330 per annum, that was to be paid to a poor Spittal, which was given by some of his predecessors, and given on his side.

10th Mr Fage told me what Monk had done in the City, how he had pulled down the most part of the gates and chains that they could break down, and that he was now gone back to White Hall The City look mighty blank, and cannot tell what in the world to do, the Parliament having this day ordered that the Common-council sit no more, but that new ones be chosen according to what qualifications they shall give them.

11th I heard the news of a letter from Monk, who was now gone into the City again, and did resolve to stand for the sudden filling up of the House, and it was very strange how the countenance of men in the Hall was all changed with joy in half an hour’s time So I went up to the lobby, where I saw the Speaker reading of the letter, and after it was read, Sir A Haselrigge came out very angry, and Billing standing at the door, took him by the arm, and cried, ‘Thou man, will thy beast carry thee no longer? thou must fall!’. We took coach for the City to Guildhall, where the Hall was full of people expecting Monk and Lord Mayor to come thither, and all very joyfull Met Monk coming out of the chamber where he had been with the Mayor and Aldermen, but such a shout I never heard in all my life, crying out, ‘God bless your Excellence’. Here I met with Mr Lock, and took him to an ale-house when we were come together, he told us the substance of the letter that went from Monk to the Parliament, wherein after complaints that he and his officers were put upon such offices against the City as they could not do with any content or honour, it states, that there are many members now in the House that were of the late tyrannical Committee of Safety. That Lambert and Vane are now in town, contrary to the vote of Parliament That many in the House do press for new oaths to be put upon men, whereas we have more cause to be sorry for the many oaths that we have already taken and broken. That the late petition of the fanatique people presented by Barebone, for the imposing of an oath upon all sorts of people, was received by the House with thanks That therefore he³⁴ did desire that all writs for filling up of the House be issued by Friday next, and that in the mean time, he would retire into the City and only leave them guards for the security of the House and Council. The occasion of this was the order that he had last night, to go into the City and disarm them, and take away their charter, whereby he and his officers said, that the House had a mind to put them upon things that should make them odious, and so it would be in their power to do what they would with them. We were told that the Parliament had sent Scott and Robinson to Monk this afternoon, but he would not hear them And that the Mayor and Aldermen had offered their own houses for himself and his officers, and that his soldiers would lack for nothing And indeed I saw many people give the soldiers drink and money, and all along the streets cried, ‘God bless them!’ and extraordinary good words Hence we went to a merchant’s house hard by, where I saw Sir Nich Crisp,³⁵ and so we went to the Star Tavern, (Monk being then at Benson’s). In Cheapside there