about him. The Speaker, they found, was kept
from coming in the morning to the House on purpose,
till after the King was come to the House of Lords,
for fear they should be doing anything in the House
of Commons to the further dissatisfaction of the King
and his courtiers. They do all give up the kingdom
for lost that I speak to; and do hear what the King
says, how he and the Duke of York do do what they
can to get up an army, that they may need no more
Parliaments: and how my Lady Castlemayne hath,
before the late breach between her and the King, said
to the King that he must rule by an army, or all would
be lost, and that Bab. May hath given the like
advice to the King, to crush the English gentlemen,
saying that L300 a-year was enough for any man but
them that lived at Court. I am told that many
petitions were provided for the Parliament, complaining
of the wrongs they have received from the Court and
courtiers, in city and country, if the Parliament
had but sat: and I do perceive they all do resolve
to have a good account of the money spent before ever
they give a farthing more: and the whole kingdom
is everywhere sensible of their being abused, insomuch
that they forced their Parliament-men to come up to
sit; and my cozen Roger told me that (but that was
in mirth) he believed, if he had not come up, he should
have had his house burned. The kingdom never
in so troubled a condition in this world as now; nobody
pleased with the peace, and yet nobody daring to wish
for the continuance of the war, it being plain that
nothing do nor can thrive under us. Here I saw
old good Mr. Vaughan, and several of the great men
of the Commons, and some of them old men, that are
come 200 miles, and more, to attend this session-of
Parliament; and have been at great charge and disappointments
in their other private business; and now all to no
purpose, neither to serve their country, content themselves,
nor receive any thanks from the King. It is
verily expected by many of them that the King will
continue the prorogation in October, so as, if it
be possible, never to have [this] Parliament more.
My Lord Bristoll took his place in the House of Lords
this day, but not in his robes; and when the King come
in, he withdrew but my Lord of Buckingham was there
as brisk as ever, and sat in his robes; which is a
monstrous thing, that a man proclaimed against, and
put in the Tower, and all, and released without any
trial, and yet not restored to his places: But,
above all, I saw my Lord Mordaunt as merry as the best,
that it seems hath done such further indignities to
Mr. Taylor’ since the last sitting of Parliament
as would hang [him], if there were nothing else, would
the King do what were fit for him; but nothing of that
is now likely to be. After having spent an hour
or two in the hall, my cozen Roger and I and Creed
to the Old Exchange, where I find all the merchants
sad at this peace and breaking up of the Parliament,
as men despairing of any good to the nation, which