est of the great sum of money I paid him long since without
interest. But I did not now move him in it. But presently comes down the
House of Commons, the King having made then a very short and no pleasing
speech to them at all, not at all giving them thanks for their readiness
to come up to town at this busy time; but told them that he did think
he should have had occasion for them, but had none, and therefore did
dismiss them to look after their own occasions till October; and that he
did wonder any should offer to bring in a suspicion that he intended
to rule by an army, or otherwise than by the laws of the land, which he
promised them he would do; and so bade them go home and settle the minds
of the country in that particular; and only added, that he had made a
peace which he did believe they would find reasonable, and a good
peace, but did give them none of the particulars thereof. Thus they are
dismissed again to their general great distaste, I believe the greatest
that ever Parliament was, to see themselves so fooled, and the nation in
certain condition of ruin, while the King, they see, is only governed by
his lust, and women, and rogues about him. The Speaker, they found, was
kept from coming in the morning to the House on purpose, till after
the King was come to the House of Lords, for fear they should be doing
anything in the House of Commons to the further dissatisfaction of the
King and his courtiers. They do all give up the kingdom for lost that I
speak to; and do hear what the King says, how he and the Duke of York
do do what they can to get up an army, that they may need no more
Parliaments: and how my Lady Castlemayne hath, before the late breach
between her and the King, said to the King that he must rule by an army,
or all would be lost, and that Bab. May hath given the like advice to
the King, to crush the English gentlemen, saying that L300 a-year was
enough for any man but them that lived at Court. I am told that many
petitions were provided for the Parliament, complaining of the wrongs
they have received from the Court and courtiers, in city and country,
if the Parliament had but sat: and I do perceive they all do resolve to
have a good account of the money spent before ever they give a farthing
more: and the whole kingdom is everywhere sensible of their being
abused, insomuch that they forced their Parliament-men to come up
to sit; and my cozen Roger told me that (but that was in mirth) he
believed