as few great or wise men in employment as he can now, but such as he can put in and keep under, which he do this coxcomb Fitzgerald.  It seems, of all mankind there is no man so led by another as the Duke is by Lord Muskerry and this FitzHarding. insomuch, as when the King would have him to be Privy-Purse, the Duke wept, and said, “But, Sir, I must have your promise, if you will have my dear Charles from me, that if ever you have occasion for an army again, I may have him with me; believing him to be the best commander of an army in the world.”  But Mr. Cholmly thinks, as all other men I meet with do, that he is a very ordinary fellow.  It is strange how the Duke also do love naturally, and affect the Irish above the English.  He, of the company he carried with him to sea, took above two-thirds Irish and French.  He tells me the King do hate my Lord Chancellor; and that they, that is the King and my Lord FitzHarding, do laugh at him for a dull fellow; and in all this business of the Dutch war do nothing by his advice, hardly consulting him.  Only he is a good minister in other respects, and the King cannot be without him; but, above all, being the Duke’s father-in-law, he is kept in; otherwise FitzHarding were able to fling down two of him.  This, all the wise and grave lords see, and cannot help it; but yield to it.  But he bemoans what the end of it may be, the King being ruled by these men, as he hath been all along since his coming; to the razing all the strong-holds in Scotland, and giving liberty to the Irish in Ireland, whom Cromwell had settled all in one corner; who are now able, and it is feared everyday a massacre again among them.  He being gone I abroad to the carrier’s, to see some things sent away to my father against Christmas, and thence to Moorfields, and there up and down to several houses to drink to look for a place ‘pour rencontrer la femme de je sais quoi’ against next Monday, but could meet none.  So to the Coffeehouse, where great talke of the Comet seen in several places; and among our men at sea, and by my Lord Sandwich, to whom I intend to write about it to-night.  Thence home to dinner, and then to the office, where all the afternoon, and in the evening home to supper, and then to the office late, and so to bed.  This night I begun to burn wax candles in my closett at the office, to try the charge, and to see whether the smoke offends like that of tallow candles.

16th.  Up, and by water to Deptford, thinking to have met ‘la femme de’ Bagwell, but failed, and having done some business at the yard, I back again, it being a fine fresh morning to walk.  Back again, Mr. Wayth walking with me to Half-Way House talking about Mr. Castle’s fine knees lately delivered in.  In which I am well informed that they are not as they should be to make them knees, and I hope shall make good use of it to the King’s service.  Thence home, and having dressed myself, to the ’Change, and thence home to dinner, and