late, and did come pretty near a settlement. So
at night to Sir W. Pen's with Sir R. Ford, and there was Sir D. Gawden,
and there we only talked of sundry things; and I have found of late, by
discourse, that the present sort of government is looked upon as a sort
of government that we never had yet--that is to say, a King and House of
Commons against the House of Lords; for so indeed it is, though neither
of the two first care a fig for one another, nor the third for them
both, only the Bishops are afeard of losing ground, as I believe they
will. So home to my poor wife, who is in mighty pain, and her face
miserably swelled: so as I was frighted to see it, and I was forced to
lie below in the great chamber, where I have not lain many a day, and
having sat up with her, talking and reading and pitying her, I to bed.

21st. At the office all the morning, and at noon home to dinner with
my Clerks and Creed, who among other things all alone, after dinner,
talking of the times, he tells me that the Nonconformists are mighty
high, and their meetings frequented and connived at; and they do expect
to have their day now soon; for my Lord of Buckingham is a declared
friend to them, and even to the Quakers, who had very good words the
other day from the King himself: and, what is more, the Archbishop
of Canterbury is called no more to the Cabal, nor, by the way, Sir W.
Coventry; which I am sorry for, the Cabal at present being, as he
says, the King, and Duke of Buckingham, and Lord Keeper, the Duke of
Albemarle, and Privy Seale. The Bishops, differing from the King in the
late business in the House of Lords, having caused this and what is like
to follow, for every body is encouraged nowadays to speak, and even to
preach, as I have heard one of them, as bad things against them as ever
in the year 1640; which is a strange change. He gone, I to the office,
where busy till late at night, and then home to sit with my wife, who
is a little better, and her cheek asswaged. I read to her out of "The
History of Algiers," which is mighty pretty reading, and did discourse
alone about my sister Pall's match, which is now on foot with one
Jackson, another nephew of Mr. Phillips's, to whom he hath left his
estate.

22nd (Lord's day). Up, and my wife, poor wretch, still in pain, and
then to dress myself and down to my chamber to settle some papers, and
thither come to me Willet with an errand from her mistress, and this
time I first did give her