then of publique miscarriages,
nobody minding the publique, but every body himself and his lusts. Anon
we come to his house, and there I eat a bit, and so with fresh horses,
his noble fine horses, the best confessedly in England, the King having
none such, he sent me to Sir Robert Viner's, whom I met coming just from
church, and so after having spent half-an-hour almost looking upon
the horses with some gentlemen that were in company, he and I into
his garden to discourse of money, but none is to be had, he confessing
himself in great straits, and I believe it. Having this answer, and that
I could not get better, we fell to publique talke, and to think how the
fleete and seamen will be paid, which he protests he do not think it
possible to compass, as the world is now: no money got by trade, nor the
persons that have it by them in the City to be come at. The Parliament,
it seems, have voted the King L1,250,000 at L50,000 per month, tax for
the war; and voted to assist the King against the Dutch, and all that
shall adhere to them; and thanks to be given him for his care of the
Duke of Yorke, which last is a very popular vote on the Duke's behalf.
He tells me how the taxes of the last assessment, which should have been
in good part gathered, are not yet laid, and that even in part of the
City of London; and the Chimny-money comes almost to nothing, nor any
thing else looked after. Having done this I parted, my mind not eased by
any money, but only that I had done my part to the King's service. And
so in a very pleasant evening back to Mr. Povy's, and there supped, and
after supper to talke and to sing, his man Dutton's wife singing very
pleasantly (a mighty fat woman), and I wrote out one song from her and
pricked the tune, both very pretty. But I did never heare one sing with
so much pleasure to herself as this lady do, relishing it to her very
heart, which was mighty pleasant.

16th. Up about seven o'clock; and, after drinking, and I observing Mr.
Povy's being mightily mortifyed in his eating and drinking, and coaches
and horses, he desiring to sell his best, and every thing else, his
furniture of his house, he walked with me to Syon,

[Sion House, granted by Edward VI. to his uncle, the Duke of
Somerset. After his execution, 1552, it was forfeited, and given to
John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. The duke being beheaded in
1553, it reverted to the Crown, and was granted in 1604 to Henry
Pe