Diary, December 1666 | Page 8

is, not daring to do or say any thing to displease the Parliament; that the
Parliament is in a very ill humour, and grows every day more and more
so; and that the unskilfulness of the Court, and their difference among
one another, is the occasion of all not agreeing in what they would have,
and so they give leisure and occasion to the other part to run away with
what the Court would not have. Then comes Mr. Gawden, and he and I

in my chamber discoursing about his business, and to pay him some
Tangier orders which he delayed to receive till I had money instead of
tallies, but do promise me consideration for my victualling business for
this year, and also as Treasurer for Tangier, which I am glad of, but
would have been gladder to have just now received it. He gone, I alone
to dinner at home, my wife and her people being gone down the river
to-day for pleasure, though a cold day and dark night to come up. In the
afternoon I to the Excise Office to enter my tallies, which I did, and
come presently back again, and then to the office and did much
business, and then home to supper, my wife and people being come
well and hungry home from Erith. Then I to begin the setting of a Base
to "It is Decreed," and so to bed.

11th. Up, and to the office, where we sat, and at noon home to dinner, a
small dinner because of a good supper. After dinner my wife and I by
coach to St. Clement's Church, to Mrs. Turner's lodgings, hard by, to
take our leaves of her. She is returning into the North to her children,
where, I perceive, her husband hath clearly got the mastery of her, and
she is likely to spend her days there, which for her sake I am a little
sorry for, though for his it is but fit she should live where he hath a
mind. Here were several people come to see and take leave of her, she
going to-morrow: among others, my Lady Mordant, which was Betty
Turner, a most homely widow, but young, and pretty rich, and good
natured. Thence, having promised to write every month to her, we
home, and I to my office, while my wife to get things together for
supper. Dispatching my business at the office. Anon come our guests,
old Mr. Batelier, and his son and daughter, Mercer, which was all our
company. We had a good venison pasty and other good cheer, and as
merry as in so good, innocent, and understanding company I could be.
He is much troubled that wines, laden by him in France before the late
proclamation was out, cannot now be brought into England, which is so
much to his and other merchants' loss. We sat long at supper and then
to talk, and so late parted and so to bed. This day the Poll Bill was to be
passed, and great endeavours used to take away the Proviso.

12th. Up, and to the office, where some accounts of Mr. Gawden's were
examined, but I home most of the morning to even some accounts with

Sir H. Cholmly, Mr. Moone, and others one after another. Sir H.
Cholmly did with grief tell me how the Parliament hath been told
plainly that the King hath been heard to say, that he would dissolve
them rather than pass this Bill with the Proviso; but tells me, that the
Proviso is removed, and now carried that it shall be done by a Bill by
itself. He tells me how the King hath lately paid about L30,000
[Two thousand pounds of this sum went to Alderman Edward Bakewell
for two diamond rings, severally charged L1000 and L900, bought
March 14th, 1665-66 (Second addenda to Steinman's "Memoir of the
Duchess of Cleveland," privately printed, 1878, p. 4.).]
to clear debts of my Lady Castlemayne's; and that she and her husband
are parted for ever, upon good terms, never to trouble one another more.
He says that he hears L400,000 hath gone into the Privypurse since this
warr; and that that hath consumed so much of our money, and makes
the King and Court so mad to be brought to discover it. He gone, and
after him the rest, I to the office, and at noon to the 'Change, where the
very good newes is just come of our four ships from Smyrna, come safe
without convoy even into the Downes, without seeing any enemy;
which is the best, and indeed only considerable good newes to our
Exchange, since the burning of the City; and it is strange to see how it
do cheer up men's hearts. Here