a counsel against my Lord; and I was glad to see him in so good play. No news from the North at all to- day; and the news-book makes the business nothing but that they are all dispersed.

27th. To my Lord Crewe, and had some good discourse with him, he doubting that all will break in pieces in the kingdom; and that the taxes now coming out, which will tax the same man in three or four several capacities, as for land, office, profession, and money at interest, will be the hardest that ever came out; and do think that we owe it, and the lateness of its being given, wholly to the unpreparedness of the King’s own party, to make their demand and choice; for they have obstructed the giving it by land-tax, which had been done long since.

28th. To White Hall; where, though it blows hard and rains hard, yet the Duke of York is gone a-hunting. We therefore lost our labour, and so to get things ready against dinner at home, and at noon comes my Lord Hinchingbroke, Sir Thomas Crewe, Mr John Crewe, Mr Carteret, and Brisband. I had six noble dishes for them, dressed by a man-cook, and commended, as indeed they deserved, for exceeding well done. We eat with great pleasure, and I enjoyed myself in it; eating in silver plates, and all things mighty rich and handsome about me. Till dark at dinner, and then broke up with great pleasure, especially to myself; and they away, only Mr Carteret and I to Gresham College. Here was Mr Henry Howard,⁸⁹ that will hereafter be Duke of Norfolke, who is admitted this day into the Society, and being a very proud man, and one that values himself upon his family, writes his name, as he do every where, Henry Howard of Norfolke.

29th. I late at the office, and all the news I hear I put into a letter this night to my Lord Brouncker at Chatham, thus: I doubt not of your Lordship’s hearing of Sir Thomas Clifford’s succeeding Sir H. Pollard⁹⁰ in the Controllership of the King’s house; but perhaps our ill (but confirmed) tidings from the Barbadoes may not have reached you yet, it coming but yesterday; viz. that about eleven ships (whereof two of the King’s, the Hope and Coventry) going thence with men to attack St Christopher were seized by a violent hurricana, and all sunk. Two only of thirteen escaping, and those with loss of masts, &c. My Lord Willoughby⁹¹ himself is involved in the disaster, and I think two ships thrown upon an island of the French, and so all the men (to 500) become their prisoners. ’Tis said, too, that eighteen Dutch men- of-war are passed the Channell, in order to meet with our Smyrna ships; and some I hear do fright us with the King of Sweden’s seizing our mast-ships at Gottenburgh. But we have too much ill news true, to afflict ourselves with what is uncertain. That which I hear from Scotland is, the Duke of York’s saying yesterday, that he is confident the Lieutenant Generall there hath driven them into a pound somewhere towards the mountains.

To show how mad we are at home here, and unfit for any troubles: my Lord St John did a day or two since openly pull a gentleman in Westminster Hall by the nose, (one Sir Andrew Henly,) while the Judges were upon their benches, and the other gentleman did give him a rap over the pate with his cane. Of which fray the Judges, they say, will make a great matter: men are only sorry the gentleman did proceed to return a blow; for otherwise my Lord would have been soundly fined for the affront and may be yet for his affront to the Judges.

30th. To White Hall; and pretty to see (it being St Andrew’s day,) how some few did wear St Andrew’s crosse; but most did make a mockery at it, and the House of Parliament, contrary to practice, did sit also: people having no mind to observe the Scotch saint’s days till they hear better news from Scotland.

December 1st. Walking to the Old Swan I did see a cellar in Towerstreete in a very fresh fire, the late great winds having blown it up. It seemed to be only of log-wood that hath kept the fire all this while in it. Going further I met my late Lord Mayor Bludworth, under whom the City was burned; but a very weak man he seems to be. By coach home in the evening, calling at Faythorne’s, buying three of my Lady Castlemaine’s heads, printed this day, which indeed is, as to the head, I think a very fine picture, and like her. I did this afternoon get Mrs Michell to let me only have a sight of a pamphlet lately printed, but suppressed and much called after, called The Catholique’s Apology; lamenting the severity of the Parliament against them, and comparing it with the lenity of other princes to Protestants. Giving old