condition there as, how they eat nothing but bread and water At their redemption they pay so much for the water they drink at the public fountaynes, during their being slaves How they are beat upon the soles of their feet and bellies at the liberty of their padron How they are all, at night, called into their master’s Bagnard, and there they lie How the poorest men do love their slaves best How some rogues do live well, if they do invent to bring their masters in so much a week by their industry or theft, and then they are put to no other work at all And theft there is counted no great crime at all.

12th By coach to the Theatre, and there saw The Scomfull Lady,¹² now done by a woman, which makes the play appear much better than ever it did to me.

14th The talk of the towne now is, who the King is like to have for his Queene and whether Lent shall be kept with the strictnesse of the King’s proclamation, which is thought cannot be, because of the poor, who cannot buy fish And also the great preparation for the King’s crowning is now much thought upon and talked of.

18th It is much talked that the King is already married to the niece of the Prince de Ligne, and that he hath two sons already by her which I am sorry to hear, but yet am gladder that it should be so, than that the Duke of York and his family should come to the crowne, he being a professed friend to the Catholiques Met with Sir G Carteret who afterwards, with the Duke of York, my Lord Sandwich, and others, went into a private room to consult and we were a little troubled that we were not called in with the rest But I do believe it was upon something very private We staid walking in the gallery, where we met with Mr Slingsby, who showed me the stamps of the King’s new coyne which is strange to see, how good they are in the stamp and bad in the money, for lack of skill to make them but he says Blondeau will shortly come over and then we shall have it better, and the best in the world He tells me, he is sure that the King is not yet married, as it is said, nor that it is known who he will have.

22nd My wife to Sir W Batten’s, and there sat a while, he having yesterday sent my wife half-a-dozen pair of gloves, and a pair of silk stockings and garters, for her Valentines.

23rd This my birthday, 28 years Mr Hartlett told me how my Lord Chancellor had lately got the Duke of York and Duchesse, and her woman, my Lord Ossory,¹³ and a Doctor, to make oath before most of the Judges of the kingdom, concerning all the circumstances of their marriage And in fine, it is confessed that they were not fully married till about a month or two before she was brought to bed, but that they were contracted long before, and time enough for the child to be legitimate But I do not hear that it was put to the Judges to determine whether it was so or no To the Play-house, and there saw The Changeling,¹⁴ the first time it hath been acted these twenty years, and it takes exceedingly Besides, I see the gallants do begin to be tyred with the vanity and pride of the theatre actors, who are indeed grown very proud and rich I also met with the Comptroller, who told me how it was easy for us all, the principall officers, and proper for us, to labour to get into the next Parliament, and would have me to ask the Duke’s letter, but I shall not endeavour it This is now 28 years that I am born And blessed be God, in a state of full content, and a great hope to be a happy man in all respects, both to myself and friends.

27th I called for a dish of fish, which we had for dinner, this being the first day of Lent, and I do intend to try whether I can keep it or no!

28th Notwithstanding my resolution, yet for want of other victualls, I did eat flesh this Lent, but am resolved to eat as little as I can This month ends with two great secrets under dispute but yet known to very few first, Who the King will marry, and What the meaning of this fleet is which we are now sheathing to set out for the southward Most think against Algier against the Turke, or to the East Indys against the Dutch who, we hear, are setting out a great fleet thither.

March 1st After dinner Mr Shepley and I in private talking about my Lord’s intentions to go speedily into the country, but to what end we know not We fear he is to go to sea with his fleet now preparing But we wish that he could get his £ 4000 per annum settled before he do go To White-fryars, and saw The