Among other things, how to pay off this fleet that
is now come from Portugall; the King of Portugall
sending them home, he having no more use for them,
which we wonder at, that his condition should be so
soon altered. And our landmen also are coming
back, being almost starved in that poor country.
Having done here I went by my Lord Sandwich’s,
who was not at home, and so to Westminster Hall, where
full of term, and here met with many about business,
among others my cozen Roger Pepys, who is all for a
composition with my uncle Thomas, which upon any fair
terms I am for also and desire it. Thence by
water, and so by land to my Lord Crew’s, and
dined with him and his brother, I know not his name;
where very good discourse; among others, of France’s
intention to make a patriarch of his own, independent
from the Pope, by which he will be able to cope with
the Spaniard in all councils, which hitherto he has
never done. My Lord Crew told us how he heard
my Lord of Holland say that, being Embassador about
the match with the Queene-Mother that now is, the
King of France—[Louis XIII., in 1624.]—insisted
upon a dispensation from the Pope, which my Lord Holland
making a question of, and that he was commanded to
yield to nothing to the prejudice of our religion,
says the King of France, “You need not fear
that, for if the Pope will not dispense with the match,
my Bishopp of Paris shall.” By and by
come in great Mr. Swinfen, the Parliament-man, who,
among other discourse of the rise and fall of familys,
told us of Bishopp Bridgeman (brother of Sir Orlando)
who lately hath bought a seat anciently of the Levers,
and then the Ashtons; and so he hath in his great
hall window (having repaired and beautified the house)
caused four great places to be left for coates of
armes. In one, he hath put the Levers, with
this motto, “Olim.” In another the
Ashtons, with this, “Heri.” In the
next his own, with this, “Hodie.”
In the fourth nothing but this motto, “Cras
nescio cujus.” Thence towards my brother’s;
met with Jack Cole in Fleet Street, and he and I went
into his cozen Mary Cole’s (whom I never saw
since she was married), and drank a pint of wine and
much good discourse. I found him a little conceited,
but he had good things in him, and a man may know
the temper of the City by him, he being of a general
conversation, and can tell how matters go; and upon
that score I will encourage his acquaintance.
Thence to my brother’s, and taking my wife
up, carried her to Charing Cross, and there showed
her the Italian motion, much after the nature of what
I showed her a while since in Covent Garden.
Their puppets here are somewhat better, but their motions
not at all. Thence by coach to my Lady’s,
and, hiding my wife with Sarah below, I went up and
heard some musique with my Lord, and afterwards discoursed
with him alone, and so good night to him and below,
having sent for Mr. Creed, had thought to have shown
my wife a play before the King, but it is so late