14th. This morning Sir W. Batten, and Sir W. Penn and I, waited upon the Duke of York in his chamber, to give him an account of the condition of the Navy for lack of money, and how our own very bills are offered upon the Exchange, to be sold at 20 in the 100 loss. He is much troubled at it, and will speak to the King and Council of it this morning.

15th. To the Opera, which begins again today with The Witts,⁴⁵ never acted yet with scenes; and the King and Duke and Duchesse were there (who dined today with Sir H. Finch, reader at the Temple, in great state); and indeed it is a most excellent play, and admirable scenes.

16th. At the office all the morning, though little to do because all our clerkes are gone to the buriall of Tom Whitton, one of the Controller’s clerkes, a very ingenious, and a likely young man to live, as any in the Office. But it is such a sickly time both in the City and country every where (of a sort of fever), that never was heard of almost, unless it was in a plague-time. Among others, the famous Tom Fuller⁴⁶ is dead of it; and Dr Nichols,⁴⁷ Dean of Paul’s; and my Lord General Monk is very dangerously ill.

17th. At the Privy Seale, where we had a seale this morning. Then met with Ned Pickering, and walked with him into St James’s Park (where I had not been a great while), and there found great and very noble alterations. And, in our discourse, he was very forward to complain and to speak loud of the lewdnesse and beggary of the Court, which I am sorry to hear, and which I am afraid will bring all to ruin again. I to the Opera, and saw The Witts again, which I like exceedingly. The Queen of Bohemia was here, brought by my Lord Craven.⁴⁸

18th. To White Hall, and there hear that my Lord General Monk continues very ill; and then to walk in St James’s Park, and saw a great variety of fowle which I never saw before. At night fell to read in Hooker’s Ecclesiastical Polity, which Mr Moore did give me last Wednesday very handsomely bound; and which I shall read with great pains and love for his sake.

19th. I am sent for to the Privy Seale, and there I found a thing of my Lord Chancellor’s to be sealed this afternoon, and so I am forced to go to Worcester House, where severall Lords are met in Council this afternoon. And while I am waiting there, in comes the King in a plain common riding-suit and velvet cap, in which he seemed a very ordinary man to one that had not known him.

27th. My wife and I to the theatre, and there saw The Joviall Crew,⁴⁹ where the King, Duke and Duchesse, and Madame Palmer, were; and my wife, to her great content, had a full sight of them all the while.

31st. At Court things are in very ill condition, there being so much emulacion, poverty, and the vices of drinking, swearing, and loose amours, that I know not what will be the end of it, but confusion. And the Clergy so high, that all people that I meet with do protest against their practice. In short, I see no content or satisfaction any where, in any one sort of people. The Benevolence⁵⁰ proves so little, and an occasion of so much discontent every where, that it had better it had never been set up. I think to subscribe £ 20. We are at our Office quiet, only for lack of money all things go to rack. Our very bills offered to be sold upon the Exchange at 10 per cent. loss. We are upon getting Sir R. Ford’s house added to our Office. But I see so many difficulties will follow in pleasing of one another in the dividing of it, and in becoming bound personally to pay the rent of £ 200 per annum, that I do believe it will yet scarce come to pass. The season very sickly every where of strange and fatal fevers.

September 1st. Captn. Holmes and I by coach to White Hall; in our way, I found him by discourse, to be a great friend of my Lord’s, and he told me there was a many did seek to remove him; but they were old seamen, such as Sir J. Minnes,⁵¹ (but he would name no more, though he do believe Sir W. Batten is one of them that do envy him,) but he says he knows that the King do so love him, and the Duke of York too, that there is no fear of him. He seems to be very well acquainted with the King’s mind, and with all the general factions at Court, and spoke all with so much franknesse, that I do take him to be my Lord’s good friend, and one able to do him great service, being a cunning fellow, and one (by his own confession to me) that can put on two several faces, and look his enemies in the face with as much