ises; whether from my Lady Castlemayne, Bab. May, and their faction;
or from the Duke of York, notwithstanding his great appearance of
defence of the Chancellor; or from Sir William Coventry, and some few
with him. But greater changes are yet expected. So home and by water to
dinner, where comes Pelting and young Michell and his wife, whom I have
not seen a great while, poor girle, and then comes Mr. Howe, and all
dined with me very merry, and spent all the afternoon, Pelting, Howe,
and I, and my boy, singing of Lock's response to the Ten Commandments,
which he hath set very finely, and was a good while since sung before
the King, and spoiled in the performance, which occasioned his printing
them for his vindication, and are excellent good. They parted, in the
evening my wife and I to walk in the garden and there scolded a little,
I being doubtful that she had received a couple of fine pinners (one of
point de Gesne), which I feared she hath from some [one] or other of a
present; but, on the contrary, I find she hath bought them for me to pay
for them, without my knowledge. This do displease me much; but yet do so
much please me better than if she had received them the other way, that
I was not much angry, but fell to other discourse, and so to my chamber,
and got her to read to me for saving of my eyes, and then, having got a
great cold, I know not how, I to bed and lay ill at ease all the night.

2nd. This day is kept in the City as a publick fast for the fire this
day twelve months: but I was not at church, being commanded, with the
rest, to attend the Duke of York; and, therefore, with Sir J. Minnes
to St. James's, where we had much business before the Duke of York,
and observed all things to be very kind between the Duke of York and W.
Coventry, which did mightily joy me. When we had done, Sir W. Coventry
called me down with him to his chamber, and there told me that he is
leaving the Duke of York's service, which I was amazed at. But he tells
me that it is not with the least unkindness on the Duke of York's
side, though he expects, and I told him he was in the right, it will be
interpreted otherwise, because done just at this time; "but," says he,
"I did desire it a good while since, and the Duke of York did, with much
entreaty, grant it, desiring that I would say nothing of it, that he
might have time and liberty to choose his successor, without being
importuned for others whom he should not like:" and that he hath