very remarkable thing,) he hath been told by some of the Treasurers at Warr here of late, to whom the most of the £120,000 monthly was paid, that for most months the payments were gathered so duly, that they seldom had so much or more than 40s or the like, short in the whole collection, whereas now the very Commissioners for Assessments and other publick payments are such persons, and those that they choose in the country so like themselves that from top to bottom there is not a man carefull of any thing, or if he be, is not solvent, that what between the beggar and the knave, the King is abused the best part of all his revenue We then talked of the Navy, and of Sir W Pen’s rise to be a general He told me he was always a conceited man, and one that would put the best side outward, but that it was his pretence of sanctity that brought him into play Lawson, and Portman, and the fifth-monarchy men, among whom he was a great brother, importuned that he might be general, and it was pleasant to see how Blackburne himself did act it, how when the Commissioners of the Admiralty would enquire of the captains and admirals of such and such men, how they would with a sigh and casting up the eyes say, ‘such a man fears the Lord,’ or, ‘I hope such a man hath the Spirit of God’ But he tells me that there was a cruel articling against Pen after one fight, for cowardice, in putting himself within a coyle of cables, of which he had much ado to acquit himself and by great friends did it, not without remains of guilt, but that his brethren had a mind to pass it by, and Sir H Vane did advise him to search his heart, and see whether this fault or a greater sin was not the occasion of this so great tryall And he tells me, that what Pen gives out about Cromwell’s sending and entreating him to go to Jamaica, is very false he knows the contrary, besides, the Protector never was a man that needed to send for any man, specially such a one as he, twice He tells me that the business of Jamaica did miscarry absolutely by his pride, and that when he was in the Tower he would cry like a child And that just upon the turne, when Monk was come from the North to the City, and did begun to think of bringing in the King, Pen was then turned Quaker That Lawson was never counted any thing but only a seaman, and a stout man, but a false man, and that now he appears the greatest hypocrite in the world And Pen the same He tells me that it is much talked of, that the King intends to legitimate the Duke of Monmouth, and that neither he, nor his friends of his persuasion, have any hopes of getting their consciences at liberty but by God Almighty’s turning of the King’s heart, which they expect, and are resolved to live and die in quiet hopes of it, but never to repine, or act any thing more than by prayers towards it And that not only himself but all of them have, and are willing at any time to take the oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy Mr Blackburne observed further to me, some certain notice that he had of the present plot so much talked of, that he was told by Mr Rushworth⁸⁴ how one Captain Oates,⁸⁵ a great discoverer, did employ several to bring and seduce others into a plot, and that one of his agents met with one that would not listen to him, nor conceal what he had offered him, but so detected the trapan He also did much insist upon the cowardice and corruption of the King’s guards and militia.

11th At noon to the Coffee-house, where with Dr Allen some good discourse about physick and chymistry And among other things, I telling him what Dribble the German Doctor do offer of an instrument to sink ships, he tells me that which is more strange, that something made of gold, which they call in chymistry Aurum Fulminans, a grain, I think he said, of it put into a silver spoon and fired, will give a blow like a musquett, and strike a hole through the silver spoon downward, without the least force upward and this he can make a cheaper experiment of, he says, with iron prepared.

15th This day being our Queene’s birthday, the guns of the Tower went all off, and in the evening the Lord Mayor sent from church to church to order the constables to cause bonfires to be made in every street, which methinks is a poor thing to be forced to be commanded.

19th With Sir G Carteret to my Lord Treasurer, to discourse with him about Mr Gauden’s having of money, and to offer to him whether it would not be necessary, Mr Gauden’s credit being so low as it is, to take security of him if he demands any great sum, such as £20 000 which now ought to be paid him upon his next year’s declaration Which is a sad thing, that being reduced to this by us, we should be the first to doubt his credit, but so it is However, it will be managed with great tenderness to him My Lord Treasurer we found in his bed-chamber, being laid up of the goute I find him a very ready man, and certainly a brave servant to the King he spoke so quick and sensible of the King’s charge Nothing displeased me in him but his long nails, which he lets grow upon a pretty thick white short hand, that it troubled me to