18th. Up early; and after reading a little in Cicero, to my office. To my Lord Crewe’s and dined with him; where I hear the courage of Sir H. Vane at his death is talked on every where as a miracle. I walked to Lilly’s,³⁰ the painter’s, where I saw among other rare things, the Duchesse of York, her whole body, sitting in state in a chair, in white sattin, and another of the King’s, that is not finished; most rare things. I did give the fellow something that showed them us, and promised to come some other time, and he would show me Lady Castlemaine’s, which I could not then see, it being locked up! Thence to Wright’s,³¹ the painter’s: but, Lord! the difference that is between their two works.

20th. Drew up the agreement between the King and Sir John Winter³² about the Forrest of Deane; and having done it, he come himself, (I did not know him to be the Queene’s Secretary before, but observed him to be a man of fine parts); and we read it, and both liked it well. That done, I turned to the Forrest of Deane, in Speede’s Mapps, and there he showed me how it lies; and the Sea-bayly, with the great charge of carrying it to Lydny, and many other things worth my knowing; and I do perceive that I am very short in my business by not knowing many times the geographical part of my business.

I went to the Exchange, and I hear that the merchants have a great fear of a breach with the Spaniard; for they think he will not brook our having Tangier, Dunkirke, and Jamaica; and our merchants begin to draw home their estates as fast as they can.

21st. At noon, Sir W. Pen and I to the Trinity House; where was a feast made by the Wardens. Great good cheer, and much but ordinary company. The Lieutenant of the Tower, upon my demanding how Sir H. Vane died, told me that he died in a passion; but all confess with so much courage as never man did.

22nd. This day I am told of a Portugall lady, at Hampton Court, that hath dropped a child already since the Queene’s coming, and the King would not have them searched whose it is; and so it is not commonly known yet. Coming home tonight, I met with Will. Swan, who do talk as high for the Fanatiques as ever he did in his life; and do pity my Lord Sandwich and me that we should be given up to the wickedness of the world; and that a fall is coming upon us all; for he finds that he and his company are the true spirit of the nation, and the greater part of the nation too, who will have liberty of conscience in spite of this ‘Act of Uniformity’, or they will die; and if they may not preach abroad, they will preach in their own houses. He told me that certainly Sir H. Vane must be gone to Heaven, for he died as much a martyr and saint as ever man did; and that the King hath lost more by that man’s death, than he will get again a good while. At all which I know not what to think; but, I confess, I do think that the Bishops will never be able to carry it so high as they do. Meeting with Frank Moore, my Lord Lambeth’s man formerly, we, and two or three friends of his did go to a taverne; but one of our company, a talking fellow, did in discourse say much of this Act against Seamen, for their being brought to account; and that it was made on purpose for my Lord Sandwich, who was in debt £100,000 and hath been forced to have pardon oftentimes from Oliver for the same: at which I was vexed.

24th. At night news is brought me that Field the rogue hath this day cast me at Guildhall in £30 for his imprisonment, to which I signed his commitment with the rest of the officers; but they having been parliament- men, he do begin the law with me; but threatens more.

26th. Mr Nicholson,³³ my old fellow-student at Magdalene, come, and we played three or four things upon the violin and basse.

27th. To my Lord, who rose as soon as he heard I was there; and in his night-gowne and shirt stood talking with me alone two hours, I believe, concerning his greatest matters of state and interest. -- Among other things, that his greatest design is, first, to get clear of all debts to the King for the Embassy money, and then a pardon. Then, to get his land settled; and then to discourse and advise what is best for him, whether to keep his sea employment longer or no. For he do discern that the Duke would be willing to have him out, and that by Coventry’s means. And here he told me, how the terms at Argier were wholly his; and that he did plainly tell Lawson and agree with him, that he would have the honour of them, if they should ever be agreed to; and that accordingly they did come over hither entitled, ‘Articles concluded