inst the Chancellor by Digby, and that bad things will be
proved. Talks much of his neglecting the King; and making the King to
trot every day to him, when he is well enough to go to visit his cozen
Chief-Justice Hide, but not to the Council or King. He commends my Lord
of Ormond mightily in Ireland; but cries out cruelly of Sir G. Lane for
his corruption; and that he hath done my Lord great dishonour by selling
of places here, which are now all taken away, and the poor wretches
ready to starve. That nobody almost understands or judges of business
better than the King, if he would not be guilty of his father's fault
to be doubtfull of himself, and easily be removed from his own opinion.
That my Lord Lauderdale is never from the King's care nor council, and
that he is a most cunning fellow. Upon the whole, that he finds things
go very bad every where; and even in the Council nobody minds the
publique.

3rd. Up pretty early and so to the office, where we sat all the morning
making a very great contract with Sir W. Warren for provisions for the
yeare coming, and so home to dinner, and there was W. Howe come to dine
with me, and before dinner he and I walked in the garden, and we did
discourse together, he assuring me of what he told me the other day of
my Lord's speaking so highly in my commendation to my Lord Peterborough
and Povy, which speaks my Lord having yet a good opinion of me, and also
how well my Lord and Lady both are pleased with their children's being
at my father's, and when the bigger ladies were there a little while
ago, at which I am very glad. After dinner he went away, I having
discoursed with him about his own proceedings in his studies, and I
observe him to be very considerate and to mind his book in order to
preferring himself by my Lord's favour to something, and I hope to
the outing of Creed in his Secretaryship. For he tells me that he is
confident my Lord do not love him nor will trust him in any secret
matter, he is so cunning and crafty in all he do. So my wife and I out
of doors thinking to have gone to have seen a play, but when we came to
take coach, they tell us there are none this week, being the first of
Lent. But, Lord! to see how impatient I found myself within to see a
play, I being at liberty once a month to see one, and I think it is the
best method I could have taken. But to my office, did very much business
with several people till night, and so home, being unwilling to stay
late be