the King of Scots to escape after the battle of Worcester.
The House was in a great heat all this day about
it; and at last it was carried, however, that it should
be referred back to the Committee to make further
enquiry. I here spoke with Roger Pepys, who
sent for me, and it was to tell me that the Committee
is mighty full of the business of buying and selling
of tickets, and to caution me against such an enquiry
(wherein I am very safe), and that they have already
found out Sir Richard Ford’s son to have had
a hand in it, which they take to be the same as if
the father had done it, and I do believe the father
may be as likely to be concerned in it as his son.
But I perceive by him they are resolved to find out
the bottom of the business if it be possible.
By and by I met with Mr. Wren, who tells me that the
Duke of York is in as good condition as is possible
for a man, in his condition of the smallpox.
He, I perceive, is mightily concerned in the business
of my Lord Chancellor, the impeachment against whom
is gone up to the House of Lords; and great differences
there are in the Lords’ House about it, and
the Lords are very high one against another.
Thence home to dinner, and as soon as dinner done
I and my wife and Willet to the Duke of York’s,
house, and there saw the Tempest again, which is very
pleasant, and full of so good variety that I cannot
be more pleased almost in a comedy, only the seamen’s
part a little too tedious. Thence home, and
there to my chamber, and do begin anew to bind myself
to keep my old vows, and among the rest not to see
a play till Christmas but once in every other week,
and have laid aside L10, which is to be lost to the
poor, if I do. This I hope in God will bind
me, for I do find myself mightily wronged in my reputation,
and indeed in my purse and business, by my late following
of my pleasure for so long time as I have done.
So to supper and then to bed. This day Mr.
Chichly told me, with a seeming trouble, that the
House have stopped his son Jack (Sir John) his going
to France, that he may be a witness against my Lord
Sandwich: which do trouble me, though he can,
I think, say little.
14th. At the office close all the morning.
At noon, all my clerks with me to dinner, to a venison
pasty; and there comes Creed, and dined with me, and
he tells me how high the Lords were in the Lords’
House about the business of the Chancellor, and that
they are not yet agreed to impeach him. After
dinner, he and I, and my wife and girl, the latter
two to their tailor’s, and he and I to the Committee
of the Treasury, where I had a hearing, but can get
but L6000 for the pay of the garrison, in lieu of
above L16,000; and this Alderman Backewell gets remitted
there, and I am glad of it. Thence by coach
took up my wife and girl, and so home, and set down
Creed at Arundell House, going to the Royal Society,
whither I would be glad to go, but cannot. Thence
home, and to the Office, where about my letters, and
so home to supper, and to bed, my eyes being bad again;
and by this means, the nights, now-a-days, do become
very long to me, longer than I can sleep out.