at he could prove that in Henry the
7th's time, he did give commission to his captains to make the King of
Denmark's ships to strike to him in the Baltique. From thence Sir W. Pen
and I to the Theatre, but it was so full that we could hardly get any
room, so he went up to one of the boxes, and I into the 18d. places,
and there saw "Love at first sight," a play of Mr. Killigrew's, and the
first time that it hath been acted since before the troubles, and great
expectation there was, but I found the play to be a poor thing, and so I
perceive every body else do. So home, calling at Paul's Churchyard for
a "Mare Clausum," having it in my mind to write a little matter, what I
can gather, about the business of striking sayle, and present it to the
Duke, which I now think will be a good way to make myself known. So home
and to bed.

30th. In the morning to the Temple, Mr. Philips and Dr. Williams about
my several law matters, and so to the Wardrobe to dinner, and after
dinner stole away, my Lady not dining out of her chamber, and so home
and then to the office all the afternoon, and that being done Sir W.
Batten and I and Captain Cock got a bottle of sack into the office, and
there we sat late and drank and talked, and so home and to bed. I am
this day in very good health, only got a little cold. The Parliament has
sat a pretty while. The old condemned judges of the late King have
been brought before the Parliament, and like to be hanged. I am deep
in Chancery against Tom Trice, God give a good issue; and myself under
great trouble for my late great expending of money vainly, which God
stop for the future. This is the last day for the old State's coyne

[In a speech of Lord Lucas in the House of Lords, the 22nd February,
1670-1 (which speech was burnt by the common hangman), he thus
adverted to that coin: "It is evident that there is scarcity of
money; for all the parliament's money called breeches (a fit stamp
for the coin of the Rump) is wholly vanished--the king's
proclamation and the Dutch have swept it all away, and of his now
majesty's coin there appears but very little; so that in effect we
have none left for common use, but a little old lean coined money of
the late three former princes. And what supply is preparing for it,
my lords? I hear of none, unless it be of copper farthings, and
this is the metal that is to vindicate, according to the inscription
on