and that I do not remember the argument, yet methought there was a great deal in what he said And upon the whole I find him a most exact and methodicall man, and of great industry and very glad that he thought fit to show me all this, though I cannot easily guess the reason why he should do it to me, unless from the plainness that he sees I use to him in telling him how much the King may suffer for our want of understanding the case of our Treasury.

March 2nd This morning Mr Burgby, one of the writing clerks belonging to the Council, a knowing man, complains to me how most of the Lords of the Council do look after themselves and their own ends, and none the public, unless Sir Edward Nicholas Sir G Carteret is diligent, but for all his own ends and profit My Lord Privy Seale, a destroyer of every body’s business, and do no good at all to the public The Archbishop of Canterbury²⁴ speaks very little, nor do much, being now come to the highest pitch that he can expect He tells me, he believes that things will go very high against the Chancellor by Digby and that bad things will be proved Talks much of his neglecting the King, and making the King to trot every day to him, when he is well enough to go to visit his cosen Chief-Justice Hide, but not to the Council or King He commends my Lord of Oppond mightily in Ireland, but cries out cruelly of Sir G Lane for his corruption, and that he hath done my Lord great dishonour by selling of places here, which are now all taken away, and the poor wretches ready to starve But nobody almost understands or judges of business better than the King, if he would not be guilty of his father’s fault to be doubtful of himself, and easily be removed from his own opinion That my Lord Lauderdale is never from the King’s care nor council, and that he is a most cunning fellow Upon the whole, that he finds things go very bad every where, and even in the Council nobody minds the public.

4th There were several people trying a new-fashion gun brought my Lord Peterborough this morning, to shoot off often, one after another, without trouble or danger At Greenwich I observed the foundation laying of a very great house for the King, which will cost a great deal of money.

10th At the Privy Seale I enquired, and found the Bill come for the Corporation of the Royall Fishery whereof the Duke of York is made present Governor, and severall other very great persons, to the number of thirty-two, made his assistants for their lives whereof, by my Lord Sandwich’s favour, I am one and take it not only as a matter of honour, but that, that may come to be of profit to me.

14th To White Hall, and in the Duke’s chamber, while he was dressing, two persons of quality that were did tell his Royal Highness how the other night, in Holborne, about midnight, being at cards, a link-boy come by and run into the house, and told the people the house was a-falling Upon this the whole family was frighted, concluding that the boy had said that the house was a-fire so they left their cards above, and one would have got out of the balcony, but it was not open, the other went up to fetch down his children, that were in bed so all got clear out of the house And no sooner so, but the house fell down indeed, from top to bottom It seems my Lord Southampton’s canaille did come too near their foundation, and so weakened the house, and down it come which, in every respect, is a most extraordinary passage The business between my Lords Chancellor and Bristoll, they say, is hushed up, and the latter gone or going, by the King’s licence, to France.

15th My poor brother Tom died.

16th To the office, where we sat this afternoon, having changed this day our sittings from morning to afternoon, because of the Parliament which returned yesterday, but was adjourned till Monday next, upon pretence that many of the members were said to be upon the road, and also the King had other affairs, and so desired them to adjourn till then But the truth is, the King is offended at my Lord of Bristoll, as they say, whom he hath found to have been all this while (pretending a desire of leave to go into France, and to have all the differences between him and the Chancellor made up,) endeavouring to make factions in both Houses to the Chancellor So the King did this to keep the Houses from meeting, and in the meanwhile sent a guard and a herald last night to have taken him at Wimbleton, where he was in the morning, but could not find him at which the King was and is still mightily concerned, and runs up and down to and from the Chancellor’s like a boy and it seems would make Digby’s articles