They told me how the Speaker Lenthall do refuse to sign the writs for choice of new members in the place of the excluded; and by that means the writs could not go out to-day.  In the evening Simons and I to the Coffee Club, where nothing to do only I heard Mr. Harrington, and my Lord of Dorset and another Lord, talking of getting another place as the Cockpit, and they did believe it would come to something.  After a small debate upon the question whether learned or unlearned subjects are the best the Club broke up very poorly, and I do not think they will meet any more.  Hence with Vines, &c. to Will’s, and after a pot or two home, and so to bed.

21st.  In the morning going out I saw many soldiers going towards Westminster, and was told that they were going to admit the secluded members again.  So I to Westminster Hall, and in Chancery Row I saw about twenty of them who had been at White Hall with General Monk, who came thither this morning, and made a speech to them, and recommended to them a Commonwealth, and against Charles Stuart.  They came to the House and went in one after another, and at last the Speaker came.  But it is very strange that this could be carried so private, that the other members of the House heard nothing of all this, till they found them in the House, insomuch that the soldiers that stood there to let in the secluded members, they took for such as they had ordered to stand there to hinder their coming in.  Mr. Prin came with an old basket-hilt sword on, and had a great many great shouts upon his going into the Hall.  They sat till noon, and at their coming out Mr. Crew saw me, and bid me come to his house, which I did, and he would have me dine with him, which I did; and he very joyful told me that the House had made General Monk, General of all the Forces in England, Scotland, and Ireland; and that upon Monk’s desire, for the service that Lawson had lately done in pulling down the Committee of Safety, he had the command of the Sea for the time being.  He advised me to send for my Lord forthwith, and told me that there is no question that, if he will, he may now be employed again; and that the House do intend to do nothing more than to issue writs, and to settle a foundation for a free Parliament.  After dinner I back to Westminster Hall with him in his coach.  Here I met with Mr. Lock and Pursell, Masters of Music,—­[Henry Purcell, father of the celebrated composer, was gentleman of the Chapel Royal.]—­and with them to the Coffee House, into a room next the water, by ourselves, where we spent an hour or two till Captain Taylor came to us, who told us, that the House had voted the gates of the City to be made up again, and the members of the City that are in prison to be set at liberty; and that Sir G. Booth’s’ case be brought into the House to-morrow.  Here we had variety of brave Italian and Spanish songs, and a canon for eight voices, which Mr. Lock had lately made on these