er interest with
the King than the other would do at least, do believe, that if my Lord
would surrender him his Wardrobe place, it would be a temptation to
Arlington to assist my Lord in getting the Treasurer's. I did object
to my Lord [Crew] that it would be no place of content, nor safety, nor
honour for my Lord, the State being so indigent as it is, and the [King]
so irregular, and those about him, that my Lord must be forced to part
with anything to answer his warrants; and that, therefore, I do believe
the King had rather have a man that may be one of his vicious caball,
than a sober man that will mind the publick, that so they may sit at
cards and dispose of the revenue of the kingdom. This my Lord was moved
at, and said he did not indeed know how to answer it, and bid me think
of it; and so said he himself would also do. He do mightily cry out of
the bad management of our monies, the King having had so much given him;
and yet, when the Parliament do find that the King should have L900,000
in his purse by the best account of issues they have yet seen, yet we
should report in the Navy a debt due from the King of L900,000; which, I
did confess, I doubted was true in the first, and knew to be true in
the last, and did believe that there was some great miscarriages in it:
which he owned to believe also, saying, that at this rate it is not in
the power of the kingdom to make a war, nor answer the King's wants.
Thence away to the King's playhouse, by agreement met Sir W. Pen, and
saw "Love in a Maze" but a sorry play: only Lacy's clowne's part, which
he did most admirably indeed; and I am glad to find the rogue at liberty
again. Here was but little, and that ordinary, company. We sat at the
upper bench next the boxes; and I find it do pretty well, and have the
advantage of seeing and hearing the great people, which may be pleasant
when there is good store. Now was only Prince Rupert and my Lord
Lauderdale, and my Lord, the naming of whom puts me in mind of my
seeing, at Sir Robert Viner's, two or three great silver flagons, made
with inscriptions as gifts of the King to such and such persons of
quality as did stay in town the late great plague, for the keeping
things in order in the town, which is a handsome thing. But here was
neither Hart, Nell, nor Knipp; therefore, the play was not likely to
please me. Thence Sir W. Pen and I in his coach, Tiburne way, into the
Park, where a horrid dust, and number of coaches, without