28th. I did send for a cup of tee (a China drink) of which I never had drank before, and went away (the King and the Princesse coming up the river this afternoon as we were at our pay). My Lord told me how the ship that brought the Princesse and him (The Tredagh) did knock six times upon the Kentish Knock, which put them in great fear for the ship; but got off well. He told me also how the King had knighted Vice-admiral Lawson and Sir Richard Stayner.
29th. This day or yesterday, I hear, Prince Rupert is come to Court; but welcome to nobody. [Son of Frederic, Prince Palatine of the Rhine, afterwards styled King of Bohemia, by Elizabeth, only sister to Charles I. Ob. 1682.]
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.