of his coach, and walked to the New Theatre, which, since the King’s players are gone to the Royal one, is this day begun to be employed by the fencers to play prizes at And here I come and saw the first prize I ever saw in my life and it was between one Mathews, who did beat at all weapons, and one Westwicke, who was soundly cut several times both in the head and legs, that he was all over blood and other deadly blows they did give and take in very good earnest, till Westwicke was in a sad pickle They fought at eight weapons, three boutes at each weapon This being upon a private quarrel, they did it in good earnest, and I felt one of the swords, and found it to be very little, if at all blunter on the edge, than the common swords are Strange to see what a deal of money is flung to them both upon the stage between every boute This day I hear at Court of the great plot which was lately discovered in Ireland made among the Presbyters and others, designing to cry up the Covenant, and to secure Dublin Castle and other places, and they have debauched a good part of the army there, promising them ready money Some of the Parliament there, they say, are guilty, and some withdrawn upon it, several persons taken, and among others a son of Scott’s, that was executed here for the King’s murder What reason the King hath, I know not, but it seems he is doubtfull of Scotland and this afternoon, when I was there, the Council was called extraordinary, and they were opening the letter this last post’s coming and going between Scotland and us and other places The King of France is well again.

2nd To St James’s, to Mr Coventry, where I had an hour’s private talk with him concerning his own condition, at present being under the censure of the House, being concerned with others in the Bill for selling of offices He tells me, that though he thinks himself to suffer much in his fame hereby, yet he values nothing more of evil to hang over him, for that it is against no statute, as is pretended, nor more than what his predecessors time out of mind have taken, and that so soon as he found himself to be in an errour, he did desire to have his fees set, which was done, and since that time he hath not taken a token more He undertakes to prove, that he did never take a token of any captain to get him employed in his life beforehand, or demanded any thing and for the other accusation, that the Cavaliers are not employed, he looked over the list of them now in the service, and of the twenty-seven that are employed, thirteen have been heretofore always under the King, two neutralls, and the other twelve men of great courage, and such as had either the King’s particular commands, or great recommendation to put them in, and none by himself Besides that, he sees it is not the King’s nor Duke’s opinion that the whole party of the late officers should be rendered desperate.And lastly, he confesses that the more of the Cavaliers are put in, the less of discipline hath followed in the fleet, and that whenever there comes occasion, it must be the old ones that must do any good He tells me, that he cannot guess whom all this should come from, but he suspects Sir G Carteret, as I also do, at least that he is pleased with it But he tells me that he will bring Sir G Carteret to be the first adviser and instructor of him what is to make his place of benefit to him, telling him that Smith did make his place worth £5000 and he believed £7000 to him the first year, besides something else greater than all this, which he forbore to tell me It seems one Sir Thomas Tomkins³⁷ of the House, that makes many mad motions, did bring it into the House, saying that a letter was left at his lodgings, subscribed by one Benson, (which is a feigned name, for there is no such in the Navy,) telling how many places in the Navy have been sold And by another letter, left in the same manner since, nobody appearing, he writes him that there is one Hughes and another Butler (both rogues, that have for their roguery been turned out of their places,) that will swear that Mr Coventry did sell their places and other things I offered him my service, and will with all my heart serve him, but he tells me he do not think it convenient to meddle, or to any purpose To Westminster Hall, where I hear more of the plot from Ireland, which it seems hath been hatching, and known to the Lord Lieutenant a great while, and kept close till within three days that it should have taken effect.

4th In the Hall a good while, where I heard that this day the Archbishop of Canterbury, Juxon,³⁸ a man well spoken of by all for a good man, is dead, and the Bishop of London³⁹ is to have his seat The match between Sir J Cutts⁴⁰ and my Lady Jemimah,⁴¹ he says, is likely to go on, for which I am glad In the Hall to-day Dr Pierce tells me that the Queene begins to be briske, and play like other ladies, and is quite another woman from what she was It may be, it may make the King like her the better, and forsake his two mistresses my Lady Castlemaine and Stewart⁴².