Diary, May/Jun 1663 | Page 7

a good while at my new rulers, then
to business, and towards noon to the Exchange with Creed, where we
met with Sir J. Minnes coming in his coach from Westminster, who

tells us, in great heat, that, by God, the Parliament will make mad work;
that they will render all men incapable of any military or civil
employment that have borne arms in the late troubles against the King,
excepting some persons; which, if it be so, as I hope it is not, will give
great cause of discontent, and I doubt will have but bad effects. I left
them at the Exchange and walked to Paul's Churchyard to look upon a
book or two, and so back, and thence to the Trinity House, and there
dined, where, among other discourse worth hearing among the old
seamen, they tell us that they have catched often in Greenland in
fishing whales with the iron grapnells that had formerly been struck
into their bodies covered over with fat; that they have had eleven
hogsheads of oyle out of the tongue of a whale. Thence after dinner
home to my office, and there busy till the evening. Then home and to
supper, and while at supper comes Mr. Pembleton, and after supper we
up to our dancing room and there danced three or four country dances,
and after that a practice of my coranto I began with him the other day,
and I begin to think that I shall be able to do something at it in time.
Late and merry at it, and so weary to bed.

7th. Up betimes and to my office awhile, and then by water with my
wife, leaving her at the new Exchange, and I to see Dr. Williams, and
spoke with him about my business with Tom Trice, and so to my
brother's, who I find very careful now-a-days, more than ordinary in his
business and like to do well. From thence to Westminster, and there up
and down from the Hall to the Lobby, the Parliament sitting. Sir
Thomas Crew this day tells me that the Queen, hearing that there was
L40,000 per annum brought into her account among the other expences
of the Crown to the Committee of Parliament, she took order to let
them know that she hath yet for the payment of her whole family
received but L4,000, which is a notable act of spirit, and I believe is
true. So by coach to my Lord Crew's, and there dined with him. He tells
me of the order the House of Commons have made for the drawing an
Act for the rendering none capable of preferment or employment in the
State, but who have been loyall and constant to the King and Church;
which will be fatal to a great many, and makes me doubt lest I myself,
with all my innocence during the late times, should be brought in, being
employed in the Exchequer; but, I hope, God will provide for me. This

day the new Theatre Royal begins to act with scenes the Humourous
Lieutenant, but I have not time to see it, nor could stay to see my Lady
Jemimah lately come to town, and who was here in the house, but
dined above with her grandmother. But taking my wife at my brother's
home by coach, and the officers being at Deptford at a Pay we had no
office, but I took my wife by water and so spent the evening, and so
home with great pleasure to supper, and then to bed.

8th. Up very early and to my office, there preparing letters to my father
of great import in the settling of our affairs, and putting him upon a
way [of] good husbandry, I promising to make out of my own purse
him up to L50 per annum, till either by my uncle Thomas's death or the
fall of the Wardrobe place he be otherwise provided. That done I by
water to the Strand, and there viewed the Queen-Mother's works at
Somersett House, and thence to the new playhouse, but could not get in
to see it. So to visit my Lady Jemimah, who is grown much since I saw
her; but lacks mightily to be brought into the fashion of the court to set
her off: Thence to the Temple, and there sat till one o'clock reading at
Playford's in Dr. Usher's 'Body of Divinity' his discourse of the
Scripture, which is as much, I believe, as is anywhere said by any man,
but yet there is room to cavill, if a man would use no faith to the
tradition of the Church in which he is born, which I think to be as good
an argument as most is brought for many things,