Duke of Albemarle, yet they are likely to go to sea again; for the first will not be trusted alone, and nobody will go with him but this Duke of Albemarle.  He tells me much how all the commanders of the fleete and officers that are sober men do cry out upon their bad discipline, and the ruine that must follow it if it continue.  But that which I wonder most at, it seems their secretaries have been the most exorbitant in their fees to all sorts of the people, that it is not to be believed that they durst do it, so as it is believed they have got L800 apiece by the very vacancies in the fleete.  He tells me that Lady Castlemayne is concluded to be with child again; and that all the people about the King do make no scruple of saying that the King do lie with Mrs. Stewart, who, he says, is a most excellent-natured lady.  This day the King begins to put on his vest, and I did see several persons of the House of Lords and Commons too, great courtiers, who are in it; being a long cassocke close to the body, of black cloth, and pinked with white silke under it, and a coat over it, and the legs ruffled with black riband like a pigeon’s leg; and, upon the whole, I wish the King may keep it, for it is a very fine and handsome garment.

[Evelyn describes the new fashion as “a comely dress after ye Persian mode” (see “Diary,” October 18th, 1666).  He adds that he had described the “comelinesse and usefulnesse” of the Persian clothing in his pamphlet entitled “Tyrannus, or the Mode.”  “I do not impute to this discourse the change which soone happen’d, but it was an identity I could not but take notice of.”  Rugge, in his “Diurnal,” thus describes the new Court costume “1666, Oct. 11.  In this month His Majestie and whole Court changed the fashion of their clothes-viz. a close coat of cloth, pinkt with a white taffety under the cutts.  This in length reached the calf of the leg, and upon that a sercoat cutt at the breast, which hung loose and shorter than the vest six inches.  The breeches the Spanish cut, and buskins some of cloth, some of leather, but of the same colour as the vest or garment; of never the like fashion since William the Conqueror.”  It is represented in a portrait of Lord Arlington, by Sir P. Lely, formerly belonging to Lord de Clifford, and engraved in Lodge’s “Portraits.”  Louis XIV. ordered his servants to wear the dress.  See November 22.]

Walking with Pierce in the Court of Wards out comes Sir W. Coventry, and he and I talked of business.  Among others I proposed the making Sir J. Minnes a Commissioner, and make somebody else Comptroller.  He tells me it is the thing he hath been thinking of, and hath spoke to the Duke of York of it.  He believes it will be done; but that which I fear is that Pen will be Comptroller, which I shall grudge a little.  The Duke of Buckingham called him aside and spoke a good while with him.  I did presently fear it might be to discourse something of his design to blemish my Lord of Sandwich, in pursuance