28th.  Up, and was called upon by Sir H. Cholmly to discourse about some accounts of his, of Tangier:  and then other talk; and I find by him that it is brought almost effect ([through] the late endeavours of the Duke of York Duchess, the Queen-Mother, and my Lord St. Albans, together with some of the contrary faction, my Lord Arlington), that for a sum of money we shall enter into a league with the King of France, wherein, he says, my Lord Chancellor—­[Clarendon; then an exile in France.]—­is also concerned; and that he believes that, in the doing hereof, it is meant that he [Clarendon] shall come again, and that this sum of money will so help the King that he will not need the Parliament; and that, in that regard it will be forwarded by the Duke of Buckingham and his faction, who dread the Parliament.  But hereby we must leave the Dutch, and that I doubt will undo us; and Sir H. Cholmly says he finds W. Coventry do think the like.  Lady Castlemayne is instrumental in this matter, and, he say never more great with the King than she is now.  But this a thing that will make the Parliament and kingdom mad, and will turn to our ruine:  for with this money the King shall wanton away his time in pleasures, and think nothing of the main till it be too late.  He gone, I to the office, where busy till noon, and then home to dinner, where W. Batelier dined with us, and pretty merry, and so I to the office again.  This morning Mr. Sheres sent me, in two volumes, Mariana his History of Spaine, in Spanish, an excellent book; and I am much obliged for it to him.

29th.  Up, and to the Office, where all the morning, and at noon dined at home, and then to the Office again, there to despatch as much business as I could, that I might be at liberty to-morrow to look after my many things that I have to do, against May-day.  So at night home to supper and to bed.

30th.  Up, and by coach to the coachmaker’s:  and there I do find a great many ladies sitting in the body of a coach that must be ended by to-morrow:  they were my Lady Marquess of Winchester, Bellassis, and other great ladies; eating of bread and butter, and drinking ale.  I to my coach, which is silvered over, but no varnish yet laid on, so I put it in a way of doing; and myself about other business, and particularly to see Sir W. Coventry, with whom I talked a good while to my great content; and so to other places-among others, to my tailor’s:  and then to the belt-maker’s, where my belt cost me 55s., of the colour of my new suit; and here, understanding that the mistress of the house, an oldish woman in a hat hath some water good for the eyes, she did dress me, making my eyes smart most horribly, and did give me a little glass of it, which I will use, and hope it will do me good.  So to the cutler’s, and there did give Tom, who was with me all day a sword cost me 12s. and a belt of my owne; and set my own silver-hilt sword a-gilding against to-morrow.  This morning I did visit Mr. Oldenburgh, and did