22nd To Westminster, where all along I find the shops evening with the sides of the houses, even in the broadest streets, which will make the City very much better than it was It seems the House do consent to send to the King to desire that he would be graciously pleased to let them know who it was that did inform him of what words Sir Richard Temple⁴⁶ should say, which were to this purpose ‘That if the King would side with him or be guided by him and his party, that he should not lack money’ but without knowing who told it, they do not think fit to call him to any account for it The Duke being gone a-hunting, by and by come in and shifted himself, he having in his hunting led his horse through a river up to his breast, and came so home and being ready, we had a long discourse with him.

23rd To the office and after an hour or two, by water to the Temple, to my cousen Roger, who, I perceive, is a deadly high man in the Parliament business, and against the Court showing me how they have computed that the King hath spent, at least hath received, above four millions of money since he come in and in Sir J Winter’s case, in which I spoke to him, he is so high that he says he deserves to be hanged To the ’Change, and by and by comes the King and the Queene by in great state, and the streets full of people I stood in Mr -- ’s balcone They dine all at my Lord Mayor’s, but what he do for victualls, or room for them, I know not.

24th To St James’s, and there an hour’s private discourse with Mr Coventry, he speaking of Sir G Carteret slightly, and diminishing of his services for the King in Jersey, that he was well rewarded, and had good lands and rents, and other profits from the King all the time he was there, and that it was always his humour to have things done his way.He brought an example how he would not let the Castle there be victualled for more than a month, that so he might keep it at his beck, though the people of the town did offer to supply it more often themselves Another thing he told me, how the Duke of York did give Sir G Carteret and the Island his profit as Admirall, and other things, toward the building of a pier there But it was never laid out, nor like to be So it falling out that a lady being brought to bed, the Duke was to be desired to be one of the godfathers, and it being objected that that would not be proper, there being no peer of the land to be joyned with him, the lady replied, ‘Why, let him choose, and if he will not be a godfather without a peer, then let him even stay till he hath made a pier of his own’ He tells me, too, that he hath lately been observed to tack about at Court, and to endeavour to strike in with the persons that are against the Chancellor, but this he says of him, that he do not say nor do any thing to the prejudice of the Chancellor.But he told me that the Chancellor was rising again, and that of late Sir G Carteret’s business and employment hath not been so full as it used to be while the Chancellor stood up From that we discoursed of the evil of putting out men of experience in business as the Chancellor, and of the condition of the King’s party at present, who, as the Papists, though otherwise fine persons, yet being by law kept for these fourscore years out of employment they are now wholly uncapable of business, and so the Cavaliers for twenty years, who, says he, for the most part have either given themselves over to look after country and family business, and those the best of them, and the rest to debauchery, &c, and that was it that hath made him high against the late Bill brought into the House for the making all men incapable of employment that had served against the King People, says he, in the sea-service, it is impossible to do any thing without them, there being not more than three men of the whole King’s side that are fit to command almost, and these were Captn Allen, Smith, and Beech,⁴⁷ and it may be Holmes, and Utber, and Batts might do something.

25th Sir G Carteret did tell us that upon Tuesday last, being with my Lord Treasurer, he showed him a letter from Portugall speaking of the advance of the Spaniards into their country, and yet that the Portuguese were never more courageous than now for by an old prophecy sent thither some years though not many since from the French King, it is foretold that the Spaniards should come into their country, and in such a valley they should be all killed, and then their country should be wholly delivered from the Spaniards This was on Tuesday last, and yesterday come the very first news that in this valley they had thus routed and killed the Spaniards.

26th The House is upon the King’s answer to their message about Temple, which is, that my Lord of Bristoll did tell him that Temple did say those words, so the House are resolved upon sending some of their members to him to know the truth, and to demand satisfaction if it be not true Sir W Batten, Sir