g alone, an hour this day; and that my Lady
Castlemayne is now in a higher command over the King than ever--not as a
mistress, for she scorns him, but as a tyrant, to command him: and says
that the Duchess of York and the Duke of York are mighty great with her,
which is a great interest to my Lord Chancellor's' family; and that
they do agree to hinder all they can the proceedings of the Duke of
Buckingham and Arlington: and so we are in the old mad condition, or
rather worse than any; no man knowing what the French intend to do the
next summer.

17th (Lord's day). To church myself after seeing every thing fitted for
dinner, and so, after church, home, and thither comes Mrs. Batelier and
her two daughters to dinner to us; and W. Hewer and his mother, and Mr.
Spong. We were very civilly merry, and Mrs. Batelier a very discreet
woman, but mighty fond in the stories she tells of her son Will.
After dinner, Mr. Spong and I to my closet, there to try my instrument
Parallelogram, which do mighty well, to my full content; but only a
little stiff, as being new. Thence, taking leave of my guests, he and I
and W. Hewer to White Hall, and there parting with Spong, a man that
I mightily love for his plainness and ingenuity, I into the Court, and
there up and down and spoke with my Lords Bellassis and Peterborough
about the business now in dispute, about my deputing a Treasurer to pay
the garrison at Tangier, which I would avoid, and not be accountable,
and they will serve me therein. Here I met Hugh May, and he brings me to
the knowledge of Sir Henry Capell, a Member of Parliament, and brother
of my Lord of Essex, who hath a great value, it seems, for me; and they
appoint a day to come and dine with me, and see my books, and papers of
the Office, which I shall be glad to shew them, and have opportunity to
satisfy them therein. Here all the discourse is, that now the King is
of opinion to have the Parliament called, notwithstanding his late
resolutions for proroguing them; so unstable are his councils, and those
about him. So staying late talking in the Queen's side, I away, with W.
Hewer home, and there to read and talk with my wife, and so to bed.

18th. Up by candlelight, and with W. Hewer walked to the Temple, and
thence took coach and to Sir William Coventry's, and there discoursed
the business of my Treasurer's place, at Tangier, wherein he consents
to my desire, and concurs therein, which I am glad of, that I may not
be accou