ke and Mr. Coventry being
gone forth I went to Westminster Hall, where I staid reading at Mrs.
Mitchell's shop, and sent for half a pint of sack for her. Here she told
me what I heard not of before, the strange burning of Mr. De Laun,
a merchant's house in Loathbury, and his lady (Sir Thomas Allen's
daughter) and her whole family; not one thing, dog nor cat, escaping;
nor any of the neighbours almost hearing of it till the house was quite
down and burnt. How this should come to pass, God knows, but a most
strange thing it is! Hither came Jack Spicer to me, and I took him to
the Swan, where Mr. Herbert did give me my breakfast of cold chine of
pork; and here Spicer and I talked of Exchequer matters, and how the
Lord Treasurer' hath now ordered all monies to be brought into the
Exchequer, and hath settled the King's revenue, and given to every
general expence proper assignments; to the Navy L200,000 and odd. He
also told me of the great vast trade of the goldsmiths in supplying the
King with money at dear rates. Thence to White Hall, and got up to the
top gallerys in the Banquetting House, to see the audience of the Russia
Embassadors; which [took place] after long waiting and fear of the
falling of the gallery (it being so full, and part of it being parted
from the rest, for nobody to come up merely from the weakness thereof):
and very handsome it was. After they were come in, I went down and got
through the croude almost as high as the King and the Embassadors,
where I saw all the presents, being rich furs, hawks, carpets, cloths of
tissue, and sea-horse teeth. The King took two or three hawks upon his
fist, having a glove on, wrought with gold, given him for the purpose.
The son of one of the Embassadors was in the richest suit for pearl and
tissue, that ever I did see, or shall, I believe. After they and all the
company had kissed the King's hand, then the three Embassadors and the
son, and no more, did kiss the Queen's. One thing more I did observe,
that the chief Embassador did carry up his master's letters in state
before him on high; and as soon as he had delivered them, he did fall
down to the ground and lay there a great while. After all was done, the
company broke up; and I spent a little while walking up and down the
gallery seeing the ladies, the two Queens, and the Duke of Monmouth with
his little mistress, which is very little, and like my brother-in-law's
wife. So with Mr. Creed to the Harp and Ball, and the