20th.  In the morning I went to Mr. Downing’s bedside and gave him an account what I had done as to his guests, land I went thence to my Lord Widdrington who I met in the street, going to seal the patents for the judges to-day, and so could not come to dinner.  I called upon Mr. Calthrop about the money due to my Lord.  Here I met with Mr. Woodfine and drank with him at the Sun in Chancery Lane and so to Westminster Hall, where at the lobby I spoke with the rest of my guests and so to my office.  At noon went by water with Mr. Maylard and Hales to the Swan in Fish Street at our Goal Feast, where we were very merry at our Jole of Ling, and from thence after a great and good dinner Mr. Falconberge would go drink a cup of ale at a place where I had like to have shot at a scholar that lay over the house of office.  Thence calling on Mr. Stephens and Wootton (with whom I drank) about business of my Lord’s I went to the Coffee Club where there was nothing done but choosing of a Committee for orders.  Thence to Westminster Hall where Mrs. Lane and the rest of the maids had their white scarfs, all having been at the burial of a young bookseller in the Hall.

[These stationers and booksellers, whose shops disfigured Westminster Hall down to a late period, were a privileged class.  In the statutes for appointing licensers and regulating the press, there is a clause exempting them from the pains and penalties of these obnoxious laws.]

Thence to Mr. Sheply’s and took him to my house and drank with him in order to his going to-morrow.  So parted and I sat up late making up my accounts before he go.  This day three citizens of London went to meet Monk from the Common Council!

“Jan. 20th.  Then there went out of the City, by desire of the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, Alderman Fowke and Alderman Vincett, alias Vincent, and Mr. Broomfield, to compliment General Monk, who lay at Harborough Town, in Leicestershire.”

“Jan. 21st.  Because the Speaker was sick, and Lord General Monk so near London, and everybody thought that the City would suffer for their affronts to the soldiery, and because they had sent the sword- bearer to, the General without the Parliament’s consent, and the three Aldermen were gone to give him the welcome to town, these four lines were in almost everybody’s mouth: 

                   “Monk under a hood, not well understood,
                    The City pull in their horns;
                    The Speaker is out, and sick of the gout,
                    And the Parliament sit upon thorns.” 
                    —­Rugge’s ’Diurnal.’—­B.”