ontagu of Boughton, Mr. William Montagu
his brother, the Queen's Sollicitor, &c., and a fine dinner. Their
talk about a ridiculous falling-out two days ago at my Lord of Oxford's
house, at an entertainment of his, there being there my Lord of
Albemarle, Lynsey, two of the Porters, my Lord Bellasses, and others,
where there were high words and some blows, and pulling off of
perriwiggs; till my Lord Monk took away some of their swords, and sent
for some soldiers to guard the house till the fray was ended. To such a
degree of madness the nobility of this age is come! After dinner I went
up to Sir Thomas Crew, who lies there not very well in his head, being
troubled with vapours and fits of dizziness: and there I sat talking
with him all the afternoon from one discourse to another, the most was
upon the unhappy posture of things at this time; that the King do mind
nothing but pleasures, and hates the very sight or thoughts of business;
that my Lady Castlemaine rules him, who, he says, hath all the tricks of
Aretin

[An allusion to Aretin's infamous letters and sonnets accompanying
the as infamous "Postures" engraved by Marc Antonio from the designs
of Julio Romano (Steinman's "Memoir of Barbara, Duchess of
Cleveland," privately printed, 1871).]

that are to be practised to give pleasure. In which he is too able ....
but what is the unhappiness in that, as the Italian proverb says, "lazzo
dritto non vuolt consiglio." If any of the sober counsellors give him
good advice, and move him in anything that is to his good and honour,
the other part, which are his counsellers of pleasure, take him when
he is with my Lady Castlemaine, and in a humour of delight, and then
persuade him that he ought not to hear nor listen to the advice of those
old dotards or counsellors that were heretofore his enemies: when, God
knows! it is they that now-a-days do most study his honour. It seems the
present favourites now are my Lord Bristol, Duke of Buckingham, Sir H.
Bennet, my Lord Ashley, and Sir Charles Barkeley; who, among them, have
cast my Lord Chancellor upon his back, past ever getting up again; there
being now little for him to do, and he waits at Court attending to speak
to the King as others do: which I pray God may prove of good effects,
for it is feared it will be the same with my Lord Treasurer shortly. But
strange to hear how my Lord Ashley, by my Lord Bristol's means (he being
brought over to the Catholique part