e articles against
my Lord Chancellor, and what members they were that undertook to bring
witnesses to make them good, of which I was mighty glad, and so away
home, and to dinner and to my workmen, and in the afternoon out to get
Simpson the joyner to come to work at my office, and so back home and to
my letters by the post to-night, and there, by W. Pen, do hear that this
article was overvoted in the House not to be a ground of impeachment of
treason, at which I was glad, being willing to have no blood spilt, if
I could help it. So home to supper, and glad that the dirty bricklayers'
work of my office is done, and home to supper and to bed.

10th (Lord's day). Mighty cold, and with my wife to church, where a lazy
sermon. Here was my Lady Batten in her mourning at church, but I took no
notice of her. At noon comes Michell and his wife to dine with us, and
pretty merry. I glad to see her still. After dinner Sir W. Pen and I
to White Hall, to speak with Sir W. Coventry; and there, beyond all we
looked for, do hear that the Duke of York hath got, and is full of, the
small-pox; and so we to his lodgings; and there find most of the family
going to St. James's, and the gallery doors locked up, that nobody might
pass to nor fro and a sad house, I am sure. I am sad to consider the
effects of his death, if he should miscarry; but Dr. Frazier tells
me that he is in as good condition as a man can be in his case. The
eruption appeared last night; it seems he was let blood on Friday.
Thence, not finding [Sir] W. Coventry, and going back again home, we met
him coming with the Lord Keeper, and so returned and spoke with him in
White Hall Garden, two or three turns, advising with him what we
should do about Carcasse's bringing his letter into the Committee of
Parliament, and he told us that the counsel he hath too late learned
is, to spring nothing in the House, nor offer anything, but just what
is drawn out of a man: that this is the best way of dealing with a
Parliament, and that he hath paid dear, and knows not how much more he
may pay, for not knowing it sooner, when he did unnecessarily produce
the Duke of Albemarle's letter about Chatham, which if demanded would
have come out with all the advantages in the world to Sir W. Coventry,
but, as he brought it out himself, hath drawn much evil upon him. After
some talk of this kind, we back home, and there I to my chamber busy all
the evening, and then to supper and to bed, my head runni