25th. Great talk of the effects of this late great wind; and I heard one say that he had five great trees standing together blown down; and, beginning to lop them, one of them, as soon as the lops were cut off, did, by the weight of the root, rise again and fasten. We have letters from the forest of Deane, that above an thousand oakes and as many beeches are blown down in one walke there. And letters from my father tell me of £20 hurt done to us at Brampton. This day in the news-booke I find that my Lord Buckhurst¹⁶ and his fellows have printed their case as they did give it in upon examination to a Justice of Peace, wherein they make themselves a very good tale that they were in pursuit of thieves, and that they took this man for one of them, and so killed him; and that he himself confessed it was the first time of his robbing; and that he did pay dearly for it, for he was a dead man. But I doubt things will be proved otherwise than they say.

March 1st. To the Opera, and there saw Romeo and Juliet, the first time it was ever acted. I am resolved to go no more to see the first time of acting, for they were all of them out more or less.

3rd. I am told that this day the Parliament hath voted 2s. per annum for every chimney in England, as a constant revenue for ever to the Crowne.

7th. Early to White Hall to the chapel, where by Mr Blagrave’s means I got into his pew, and heard Dr Creeton, the great Scotchman, and chaplain in ordinary to the King, preach before the King, and Duke and Duchesse, upon the words of Micah: -- ‘Roule yourselves in dust.’ He made a most learned sermon upon the words; but in his application, the most comical man that ever I heard in my life. Just such a man as Hugh Peters; saying that it had been better for the poor Cavalier never to have come with the King into England again; for he that hath the impudence to deny obedience to the lawful magistrate, and to swear to the oath of allegiance, &c., was better treated now-a-days in Newgate, than a poor Royalist that hath suffered all his life for the King, is at White Hall among his friends.

8th. By coach with both Sir Williams to Westminster; this being a great day there in the House to pass the business for chimney-money, which was done. In the Hall I met with Surgeon Pierce: and he told me how my Lady Monk hath disposed of all the places which Mr Edwd. Montagu hoped to have had as he was Master of the Horse to the Queene; which I am afraid will undo him, because he depended much upon the profit of what he should make by these places. He told me, also, many more scurvy stories of him and his brother Ralph, which troubles me to hear of persons of honour as they are. Sir W. Pen and I to the office, whither afterward come Sir G. Carteret; and we sent for Sir Thos. Allen, one of the Aldermen of the City,¹⁷ about the business of one Colonel Appesly, whom we had taken counterfeiting of bills with all our hands and the officers of the yards, so well that I should never have mistrusted them. We staid about this business at the office till ten at night, and at last did send him with a constable to the Counter and did give warrants for the seizing of a complice of his, one Blenkinsopp.

12th. This morning we had news from Mr Coventry, that Sir G. Downing¹⁸ (like a perfidious rogue, though the action is good and of service to the King, yet he cannot with a good conscience do it) hath taken Okey,¹⁹ Corbet, and Barkestead at Delfe, in Holland, and sent them home in the Blackmore. Sir W. Pen, talking to me this afternoon of what a strange thing it is for Downing to do this, he told me of a speech he made to the Lords States of Holland, telling them to their faces that he observed that he was not received with the respect and observance now that he was when he came from the traitor and rebell Cromwell: by whom, I am sure, he hath got all he hath in the world, -- and they know it too.

14th. Home to dinner. In the afternoon come the German Dr Knuffler, to discourse with us about his engine to blow up ships. We doubted not the matter of fact, it being tried in Cromwell’s time, but the safety of carrying them in ships; but he do tell us, that when he comes to tell the King his secret, (for none but the Kings, successively, and their heirs must know it,) it will appear to be of no danger at all. We concluded nothing: but shall discourse with the Duke of York tomorrow about it.

16th. Walked to White Hall; and an houre or two in the Parke, which is now very pleasant. Here the King and Duke come to see their fowle play. The Duke took very civil notice of me.