l of
soldiers all in a body, and my Lord Craven commanding of them, and
riding up and down to give orders, like a madman. And some young men we
saw brought by soldiers to the Guard at White Hall, and overheard others
that stood by say, that it was only for pulling down the bawdy-houses;
and none of the bystanders finding fault with them, but rather of the
soldiers for hindering them. And we heard a justice of the Peace this
morning say to the King, that he had been endeavouring to suppress this
tumult, but could not; and that, imprisoning some [of them] in the new
prison at Clerkenwell, the rest did come and break open the prison and
release them; and that they do give out that they are for pulling down
the bawdy-houses, which is one of the greatest grievances of the nation.
To which the King made a very poor, cold, insipid answer: "Why, why do
they go to them, then?" and that was all, and had no mind to go on with
the discourse. Mr. Creed and I to dinner to my Lord Crew, where little
discourse, there being none but us at the table, and my Lord and my Lady
Jemimah, and so after dinner away, Creed and I to White Hall, expecting
a Committee of Tangier, but come too late. So I to attend the Council,
and by and by were called in with Lord Brouncker and Sir W. Pen to
advise how to pay away a little money to most advantage to the men of
the yards, to make them dispatch the ships going out, and there did make
a little speech, which was well liked, and after all it was found most
satisfactory to the men, and best for the king's dispatch, that what
money we had should be paid weekly to the men for their week's work
until a greater sum could be got to pay them their arrears and then
discharge them. But, Lord! to see what shifts and what cares and
thoughts there was employed in this matter how to do the King's work and
please the men and stop clamours would make a man think the King should
not eat a bit of good meat till he has got money to pay the men, but I
do not see the least print of care or thoughts in him about it at all.
Having done here, I out and there met Sir Fr. Hollis, who do still tell
me that, above all things in the world, he wishes he had my tongue in
his mouth, meaning since my speech in Parliament. He took Lord Brouncker
and me down to the guards, he and his company being upon the guards
to-day; and there he did, in a handsome room to that purpose, make us
drink, and did call for his bagpipes, which, with pipes of