stands in competition with them, they apprehend those priviledges must
give place. He told them that he thought, if they should owne all to be
the priviledges of the Lords which might be demanded, they should be led
like the man (who granted leave to his neighbour to pull off his horse's
tail, meaning that he could not do it at once) that hair by hair had his
horse's tail pulled off indeed: so the Commons, by granting one thing
after another, might be so served by the Lords. Mr. Vaughan, whom I
could not to my grief perfectly hear, did say, if that they should be
obliged in this manner to, exempt the Lords from every thing, it would
in time come to pass that whatever (be [it] never so great) should be
voted by the Commons as a thing penall for a commoner, the contrary
should be thought a priviledge to the Lords: that also in this business,
the work of a conventicle being but the work of an hour, the cause of
a search would be over before a Lord Lieutenant, who may be many miles
off, can be sent for; and that all this dispute is but about L100; for
it is said in the Act, that it shall be banishment or payment of L100.
I thereupon heard the Duke of Lenox say, that there might be Lords who
could not always be ready to lose L100, or some such thing: They broke
up without coming to any end in it. There was also in the Commons' House
a great quarrel about Mr. Prin, and it was believed that he should have
been sent to the Towre, for adding something to a Bill (after it was
ordered to be engrossed) of his own head--a Bill for measures for wine
and other things of that sort, and a Bill of his owne bringing in; but
it appeared he could not mean any hurt in it. But, however, the King was
fain to write in his behalf, and all was passed over. But it is worth my
remembrance, that I saw old Ryly the Herald, and his son; and spoke to
his son, who told me in very bad words concerning Mr. Prin, that the
King had given him an office of keeping the Records; but that he never
comes thither, nor had been there these six months: so that I perceive
they expect to get his imployment from him. Thus every body is liable to
be envied and supplanted. At noon over to the Leg, where Sir G. Ascue,
Sir Robt. Parkhurst and Sir W. Pen dined. A good dinner and merry.
Thence to White Hall walking up and down a great while, but the Council
not meeting soon enough I went homeward, calling upon my cozen Roger
Pepys, with whom I talked and heard so much from him