he doubts they will not, and, therefore, wishes much
that the King would lay hold of this fit occasion,
and let the Commission fall. Then to talk of my
Lord Sandwich, whom my Lord Crew hath a great desire
might get to be Lord Treasurer if the present Lord
should die, as it is believed he will, in a little
time; and thinks he can have no competitor but my Lord
Arlington, who, it is given out, desires it:
but my Lord thinks it is not so, for that the being
Secretary do keep him a greater interest with the King
than the other would do at least, do believe, that
if my Lord would surrender him his Wardrobe place,
it would be a temptation to Arlington to assist my
Lord in getting the Treasurer’s. I did object
to my Lord [Crew] that it would be no place of content,
nor safety, nor honour for my Lord, the State being
so indigent as it is, and the [King] so irregular,
and those about him, that my Lord must be forced to
part with anything to answer his warrants; and that,
therefore, I do believe the King had rather have a
man that may be one of his vicious caball, than a
sober man that will mind the publick, that so they
may sit at cards and dispose of the revenue of the
kingdom. This my Lord was moved at, and said
he did not indeed know how to answer it, and bid me
think of it; and so said he himself would also do.
He do mightily cry out of the bad management of our
monies, the King having had so much given him; and
yet, when the Parliament do find that the King should
have L900,000 in his purse by the best account of issues
they have yet seen, yet we should report in the Navy
a debt due from the King of L900,000; which, I did
confess, I doubted was true in the first, and knew
to be true in the last, and did believe that there
was some great miscarriages in it: which he owned
to believe also, saying, that at this rate it is not
in the power of the kingdom to make a war, nor answer
the King’s wants. Thence away to the King’s
playhouse, by agreement met Sir W. Pen, and saw “Love
in a Maze” but a sorry play: only Lacy’s
clowne’s part, which he did most admirably indeed;
and I am glad to find the rogue at liberty again.
Here was but little, and that ordinary, company.
We sat at the upper bench next the boxes; and I find
it do pretty well, and have the advantage of seeing
and hearing the great people, which may be pleasant
when there is good store. Now was only Prince
Rupert and my Lord Lauderdale, and my Lord, the naming
of whom puts me in mind of my seeing, at Sir Robert
Viner’s, two or three great silver flagons, made
with inscriptions as gifts of the King to such and
such persons of quality as did stay in town the late
great plague, for the keeping things in order in the
town, which is a handsome thing. But here was
neither Hart, Nell, nor Knipp; therefore, the play
was not likely to please me. Thence Sir W. Pen
and I in his coach, Tiburne way, into the Park, where
a horrid dust, and number of coaches, without pleasure
or order. That which we, and almost all went