Diary, November 1666 | Page 6

few going abroad, and yet Sir Thomas Allen hath
sent up some Lieutenants with warrants to presse men for a few ships
to go out this winter, while every day thousands appear here, to our
great trouble and affright, before our office and the ticket office, and no
Captains able to command one-man aboard. Thence by water to
Westminster, and there at the Swan find Sarah is married to a
shoemaker yesterday, so I could not see her, but I believe I shall
hereafter at good leisure. Thence by coach to my Lady Peterborough,
and there spoke with my Lady, who had sent to speak with me. She
makes mighty moan of the badness of the times, and her family as to
money. My Lord's passionateness for want thereof, and his want of
coming in of rents, and no wages from the Duke of York. No money to
be had there for wages nor disbursements, and therefore prays my
assistance about his pension. I was moved with her story, which she
largely and handsomely told me, and promised I would try what I could
do in a few days, and so took leave, being willing to keep her Lord fair
with me, both for his respect to my Lord Sandwich and for my owne
sake hereafter, when I come to pass my accounts. Thence to my Lord
Crew's, and there dined, and mightily made of, having not, to my
shame, been there in 8 months before. Here my Lord and Sir Thomas
Crew, Mr. John, and Dr. Crew, and two strangers. The best family in
the world for goodness and sobriety. Here beyond my expectation I met

my Lord Hinchingbroke, who is come to towne two days since from
Hinchingbroke, and brought his sister and brother Carteret with him,
who are at Sir G. Carteret's. After dinner I and Sir Thomas Crew went
aside to discourse of public matters, and do find by him that all the
country gentlemen are publickly jealous of the courtiers in the
Parliament, and that they do doubt every thing that they propose; and
that the true reason why the country gentlemen are for a land-tax and
against a general excise, is, because they are fearful that if the latter be
granted they shall never get it down again; whereas the land-tax will be
but for so much; and when the war ceases, there will be no ground got
by the Court to keep it up. He do much cry out upon our accounts, and
that all that they have had from the King hath been but estimates both
from my Lord Treasurer and us, and from all people else, so that the
Parliament is weary of it. He says the House would be very glad to get
something against Sir G. Carteret, and will not let their inquiries die till
they have got something. He do, from what he hath heard at the
Committee for examining the burning of the City, conclude it as a thing
certain that it was done by plots; it being proved by many witnesses
that endeavours were made in several places to encrease the fire, and
that both in City and country it was bragged by several Papists that
upon such a day or in such a time we should find the hottest weather
that ever was in England, and words of plainer sense. But my Lord
Crew was discoursing at table how the judges have determined in the
case whether the landlords or the tenants (who are, in their leases, all of
them generally tied to maintain and uphold their houses) shall bear the
losse of the fire; and they say that tenants should against all casualties
of fire beginning either in their owne or in their neighbour's; but, where
it is done by an enemy, they are not to do it. And this was by an enemy,
there having been one convicted and hanged upon this very score. This
is an excellent salvo for the tenants, and for which I am glad, because
of my father's house. After dinner and this discourse I took coach, and
at the same time find my Lord Hinchingbroke and Mr. John Crew and
the Doctor going out to see the ruins of the City; so I took the Doctor
into my hackney coach (and he is a very fine sober gentleman), and so
through the City. But, Lord! what pretty and sober observations he
made of the City and its desolation; till anon we come to my house, and
there I took them upon Tower Hill to shew them what houses were

pulled down there since the fire; and then to my house, where I treated
them with good wine of several sorts, and they took it mighty
respectfully, and a fine company