The Duke of Monmouth is to have part of the Cockpitt
new built for lodgings for him, and they say to be
made Captain of the Guards in the room of my Lord
Gerard. Having thus talked with him, there comes
into the Hall Creed and Ned Pickering, and after a
turne or two with them, it being noon, I walked with
them two to the King’s Head ordinary, and there
we dined; little discourse but what was common, only
that the Duke of Yorke is a very, desperate huntsman,
but I was ashamed of Pickering, who could not forbear
having up my Lord Sandwich now and then in the most
paltry matters abominable. Thence I took leave
of them, and so having taken up something at my wife’s
tailor’s, I home by coach and there to my office,
whither Shales came and I had much discourse with him
about the business of the victualling, and thence in
the evening to the Coffee-house, and there sat till
by and by, by appointment Will brought me word that
his uncle Blackburne was ready to speak with me.
So I went down to him, and he and I to a taverne
hard by, and there I begun to speak to Will friendlily,
advising him how to carry himself now he is going from
under my roof, without any reflections upon the occasion
from whence his removal arose. This his uncle
seconded, and after laying down to him his duty to
me, and what I expect of him, in a discourse of about
a quarter of an houre or more, we agreed upon his
going this week, towards the latter (end) of the week,
and so dismissed him, and Mr. Blackburne and I fell
to talk of many things, wherein I did speak so freely
to him in many things agreeing with his sense that
he was very open to me: first, in that of religion,
he makes it great matter of prudence for the King and
Council to suffer liberty of conscience; and imputes
the losse of Hungary to the Turke from the Emperor’s
denying them this liberty of their religion.
He says that many pious ministers of the word of God,
some thousands of them, do now beg their bread:
and told me how highly the present clergy carry themselves
every where, so as that they are hated and laughed
at by everybody; among other things, for their excommunications,
which they send upon the least occasions almost that
can be. And I am convinced in my judgement,
not only from his discourse, but my thoughts in general,
that the present clergy will never heartily go down
with the generality of the commons of England; they
have been so used to liberty and freedom, and they
are so acquainted with the pride and debauchery of
the present clergy. He did give me many stories
of the affronts which the clergy receive in all places
of England from the gentry and ordinary persons of
the parish. He do tell me what the City thinks
of General Monk, as of a most perfidious man that
hath betrayed every body, and the King also; who,
as he thinks, and his party, and so I have heard other
good friends of the King say, it might have been better
for the King to have had his hands a little bound
for the present, than be forced to bring such a crew