OCTOBER 1660

OCTOBER 2, 1660. At Will's I met with Mr. Spicer, and with him
to the Abbey to see them at vespers. There I found but a thin
congregation.

3rd. To my Lord's, who sent a great iron chest to White Hall;
and I saw it carried, into the King's closet, where I saw most
incomparable pictures. Among the rest a book open upon a desk,
which I durst have sworn was a reall book. Back again to my
Lord, and dined all alone with him, who did treat me with a great
deal of respect; and after dinner did discourse an hour with me,
saying that he believed that he might have any thing that he
would ask of the King. This day I heard the Duke speak of a
great design that he and my Lord of Pembroke have, and a great
many others, of sending a venture to some parts of Africa to dig
for gold ore there. They intend to admit as many as will venture
their money, and so make themselves a company. 250l. is the
lowest share for every man. But I do not find that my Lord do
much like it.

4th. I and Lieut. Lambert to Westminster Abbey, where we saw Dr.
Frewen translated to the Archbishoprick of York. [Dr. Accepted
Frewen, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry.] Here I saw the
Bishops of Winchester, [Brian Duppa, translated from Salisbury.]
Bangor, [William Roberts.] Rochester, [John Warner, Ob. 1666,
aged 86.] Bath and Wells, [William Pierce, translated from
Peterborough, 1632.] and Salisbury, [Humphrey Henchman,
afterwards Bishop of London.] all in their habits, in King Henry
Seventh's chapel. But, Lord! at their going out, how people did
most of them look upon them as strange creatures, and few with
any kind of love or respect.

6th. Col. Slingsby and I at the office getting a catch ready for
the Prince de Ligne to carry his things away to-day, who is now
going home again. I was to give my Lord an account of the
stacions and victualls of the fleet, in order to the choosing of
a fleet fit for him to take to sea, to bring over the Queen.

7th (Lord's day). To White Hall on foot, calling at my father's
to change my long black cloake for a short one (long cloakes
being now quite out); but he being gone to church, I could not
get one. I heard Dr. Spurstow preach before the King a poor dry
sermon; [William Spurstow D.D. Vicar of Hackney and Master of
Katherine Hall, Cambridge, both which pieces of preferment he
lost for nonconformity, 1662.] but a very good anthem of Captn.
Cooke's afterwards. To my Lord's and dined with him; he all
dinner-time talking French to me, and telling me the story how
the Duke of York hath got my Lord Chancellor's daughter with
child, and that she do lay it to him, and that for certain he did
promise her marriage, and had signed it with his blood, but that
he by stealth had got the paper out of her cabinett. And that
the King would have him to marry her, but that he will not. So
that the thing is very bad for the Duke, and them all; but my
Lord do make light of it, as a thing that he believes is not a
new thing for the Duke to do abroad. After dinner to the Abbey,
where I heard them read the church-service, but very
ridiculously. A poor cold sermon of Dr. Lamb's, one of the
prebends, in his habitt, come afterwards, and so all ended.

9th. This morning Sir W. Batten with Coll. Birch to Deptford to
pay off two ships. Sir W. Pen and I staid to do business, and
afterward together to White Hall, where I went to my Lord, and
saw in his chamber his picture, very well done; and am with
child till I get it copied out, which I hope to do when he is
gone to sea.

10th. At night comes Mr. Moore and tells me how Sir Hards.
Waller (who only pleads guilty), [Sir Hardress Waller, Knt., one
of Charles 1st's Judges. His sentence was commuted to
imprisonment for life.] Scott, Coke, [Coke was Solicitor to the
people of England.] Peters, [Hugh Peters, the fanatical
preacher.] Harrison, &c. were this day arraigned at the bar of
the Sessions House, there being upon the bench the Lord Mayor,
General Monk, my Lord of Sandwich, &c.; such a bench of noblemen
as had not been ever seen In England! They all seem to be
dismayed, and will all be condemned without question. In Sir
Orlando Bridgman's charge, [Eldest son of John Bridgeman, Bishop
of Chester, became, after the Restoration, successively Chief
Baron of the Exchequer, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, and was created a Baronet.] he
did wholly rip up the unjustnesse of the war against the King
from the beginning, and so it much reflects upon all the Long
Parliament, though the King had pardoned them, yet they must
hereby confess that the King do look upon them as traytors.
To-morrow they are to plead what they have to say.

11th. To walk in St. James's Park, where we observed the several
engines at work to draw up water, with which sight I was very
much pleased. Above all the rest, I liked that which Mr.
Greatorex [A mathematical instrument maker.] brought, which do
carry up the water with a great deal of ease. Here, in the Park,
me met with Mr. Salisbury, who took Mr. Creed and me to the
Cockpitt to see "The Moore of Venice," which was well done. Burt
acted the Moore; [Burt ranked in the list of good actors after
the Restoration, though he resigned the part of Othello to Hart.
DAVIS'S DRAMATIC MISC.] by the same token, a very pretty lady
that sat by me, called out, to see Desdemona smothered.

13th I went out to Charing Cross, to see Major-general Harrison
hanged, drawn, and quartered; which was done there, he looking as
cheerful as any man could do in that condition. [Thomas
Harrison, son of a butcher at Newcastle-under-Line, appointed by
Cromwell to convey Charles I. from Windsor to White Hall, in
order to his trial, and afterwards sat as one of his judges.] He
was presently cut down, and his head and heart shown to the
people, at which there was great shouts of joy. It is said that
he said that he was sure to come shortly at the right hand of
Christ to judge them that now had judged him; and that his wife
do expect his coming again. Thus it was my chance to see the
King beheaded at White Hall, and to see the first blood shed in
revenge for the King at Charing Cross.

14th. To White Hall chappell, where one Dr. Crofts made an
indifferent sermon, and after it an anthem, ill sung, which made
the King laugh. Here I first did see the Princesse Royall since
she came into England. Here I also observed, how the Duke of
York and Mrs. Palmer did talk to one another very wantonly
through the hangings that parts the King's closet and the closet
where the ladies sit.

15th. This morning Mr. Carew was hanged and quartered at Charing
Cross; but his quarters, by a great favour, are not to be hanged
up. [John Carew, one of the regicides.]

16th. Being come home, Will. told me that my Lord had a mind to
speak with me to-night; so I returned by water, and, coming
there, it was only to enquire how the ships were provided with
victuals that are to go with him to fetch over the Queen, which I
gave him a good account of. He seemed to be in a melancholy
humour, which, I was told by W. Howe, was for that he had lately
lost a great deal of money at cards, which he fears he do too
much addict himself to now-a-days.

18th. This morning, it being expected that Colonel Hacker and
Axtell should die, I went to Newgate, but found they were
reprieved till to-morrow. [Col. Francis Hacker commanded the
guards at the King's execution. Axtell had guarded the High
Court of Justice.]

19th. This morning my dining-room was finished with greene serge
hanging and gilt leather, which is very handsome. This morning
Hacker and Axtell were hanged and quartered, as the rest are.
This night I sat up late to make up my accounts ready against to-
morrow for my Lord.

20th. I dined with my Lord and Lady; he was very merry, and did
talk very high how he would have a French cooke, and a master of
his horse, and his lady and child to wear black patches; which
methought was strange, but he is become a perfect courtier; and,
among other things, my Lady saying that she could get a good
merchant for her daughter Jem., he answered, that he would rather
see her with a pedlar's pack at her back, so she married a
gentleman, than she should marry a citizen. This afternoon,
going through London, and calling at Crowe's the upholsterer's in
Saint Bartholomew's, I saw limbs of some of our new traytors set
upon Aldersgate, which was a sad sight to see; and a bloody week
this and the last have been, there being ten hanged, drawn, and
quartered.

21st. George Vines carried me up to the top of his turret, where
there is Cooke's head set up for a traytor, and Harrison's set up
on the other side of Westminster Hall. Here I could see them
plainly, as also a very fair prospect about London.

22nd. All preparing for my Lord's going to sea to fetch the
Queen to-morrow. At night my Lord come home, with whom I staid
long, and talked of many things. He told me there hath been a
meeting before the King and my Lord Chancellor, of some
Episcopalian and Presbyterian Divines; but what had passed he
could not tell me.

23rd. About eight o'clock my Lord went; and going through the
garden, Mr. William Montagu told him of an estate of land lately
come into the King's hands, that he had a mind my Lord should
beg. To which end my Lord writ a letter presently to my Lord
Chancellor to do it for him, which (after leave taken of my Lord
at White Hall bridge) I did carry to Warwick House to him; and
had a fair promise of him, that he would do it this day for my
Lord. In my way thither I met the Lord Chancellor and all the
Judges riding on horseback and going to Westminster Hall, it
being the first day of the terme.

24th. Mr. Moore tells me, among other things, that the Duke of
York is now sorry for his amour with my Lord Chancellor's
daughter, who is now brought to bed of a boy. To Mr. Lilly's,
[William Lilly, the astrologer and almanack-maker.] where, not
finding Mr. Spong, I went to Mr. Greatorex, where I met him, and
where I bought of him a drawing pen; and he did show me the
manner of the lamp-glasses, which carry the light a great way,
good to read in bed by, and I intend to have one of them. So to
Mr. Lilly's with Mr. Spong, where well received, there being a
club to-night among his friends. Among the rest Esquire Ashmole,
[Elias Ashmole, the antiquarian.] who I found was a very
ingenious gentleman. With him we two sang afterwards in Mr.
Lilly's study. That done, we all parted; and I home by coach,
taking Mr. Rooker with me, who did tell me a great many
fooleries, which may be done by nativities, and blaming Mr. Lilly
for writing to please his friends and to keep in with the times
(as he did formerly to his own dishonour,) and not according to
the rules of art, by which he could not well erre, as he had
done.

26th. By Westminster to White Hall, where I saw the Duke de
Soissons go from his audience with a very great deal of state;
his own coach all red velvet covered with gold lace, and drawn by
six barbes, and attended by twenty pages very rich in clothes.
To Westminster Hall, and bought, among other books, one of the
Life of our Queen, which I read at home to my wife; but it was so
sillily writ, that we did nothing but laugh at it: among other
things it is dedicated to that paragon of virtue and beauty the
Duchess of Albemarle. Great talk as if the Duke of York do now
own the marriage between him and the Chancellor's daughter. To
Westminster Abbey, where with much difficulty, going round to the
cloysters, I got in; this day being a great day for the
consecrating of five Bishopps, which was done after sermon; but I
could not get into Henry the Seventh's chappel. After dinner to
White Hall chappel; my Lady and my Lady Jemimah and I up to the
King's closet, (who is now gone to meet the Queen). So meeting
with one Mr. Hill, that did know my lady, he did take us into the
King's closet, and there we did stay all service-time.

29th. I up early, it being my Lord Mayor's day (Sir Richd.
Browne,) and neglecting my office, I went to the Wardrobe, where
I met my Lady Sandwich, and all the children; and after drinking
of some strange and incomparable good clarett of Mr. Remball's,
he and Mr. Townsend [Officers of the Wardrobe.] did take us, and
set the young Lords at one Mr. Neville's, a draper in Paul's
church-yard; and my Lady and my Lady Pickering [Elizabeth
Montagu, sister to the Earl of Sandwich, who had married Sir
Gilbert Pickering, Bart. of Nova Scotia, and of Tichmersh, co.
Northampton.] and I to one Mr. Isaacson's, a linen-draper at the
Key in Cheapside; where there was a company of fine ladies, and
we were very civilly treated, and had a very good place to see
the pageants, which were many, and I believe good, for such kind
of things, but in themselves but poor and absurd.

30th. I went to the Cockpit all alone, and there saw a very fine
play called "The Tamer tamed:" very well acted. ["The Woman's
Prize, or Tamer Tamed," A comedy by John Fletcher.] I hear
nothing yet of my Lord, whether he be gone for the Queen from the
Downes or no; but I believe he is, and that he is now upon coming
back again.