r J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten come unexpectedly
home last night from Portsmouth, having done the Pay there before we
could have, thought it. Sat all the morning, and at noon home to dinner
with my wife alone, and after dinner sat by the fire, and then up to
make up my accounts with her, and find that my ordinary housekeeping
comes to L7 a month, which is a great deal. By and by comes Dr. Pierce,
who among other things tells me that my Lady Castlemaine's interest at
Court increases, and is more and greater than the Queen's; that she hath
brought in Sir H. Bennet, and Sir Charles Barkeley; but that the queen
is a most good lady, and takes all with the greatest meekness that may
be. He tells me too that Mr. Edward Montagu is quite broke at Court
with his repute and purse; and that he lately was engaged in a quarrell
against my Lord Chesterfield: but that the King did cause it to be
taken up. He tells me, too, that the King is much concerned in the
Chancellor's sickness, and that the Chancellor is as great, he thinks,
as ever he was with the King. He also tells me what the world says of
me, "that Mr. Coventry and I do all the business of the office almost:"
at which I am highly proud. He being gone I fell to business, which
was very great, but got it well over by nine at night, and so home, and
after supper to bed.

24th. Lay pleasantly, talking to my wife, till 8 o'clock, then up and
to Sir W. Batten's to see him and Sir G. Carteret and Sir J. Minnes take
coach towards the Pay at Chatham, which they did and I home, and took
money in my pocket to pay many reckonings to-day in the town, as my
bookseller's, and paid at another shop L4 10s. for "Stephens's Thesaurus
Graecae Linguae," given to Paul's School: So to my brother's and
shoemaker, and so to my Lord Crew's, and dined alone with him, and after
dinner much discourse about matters. Upon the whole, I understand there
are great factions at Court, and something he said that did imply a
difference like to be between the King and the Duke, in case the Queen
should not be with child. I understand, about this bastard.

[James Crofts, son of Charles II. by Lucy Walter, created Duke of
Monmouth in 1663, Duke of Buccleuch in 1673, when he took the name
of Scott.]

He says, also, that some great man will be aimed at when Parliament
comes to sit again; I understand, the Chancellor: and that there is
a bill will be brought in, that none that have been in arms for the