he
midwife and the two nurses to-day.

20th. To Westminster Hall by water in the morning, where I saw the King
going in his barge to the Parliament House; this being the first day of
their meeting again. And the Bishops, I hear, do take their places in
the Lords House this day. I walked long in the Hall, but hear nothing of
news, but what Ned Pickering tells me, which I am troubled at, that Sir
J. Minnes should send word to the King, that if he did not remove all my
Lord Sandwich's captains out of this fleet, he believed the King would
not be master of the fleet at its coming again: and so do endeavour to
bring disgrace upon my Lord. But I hope all that will not do, for the
King loves him. Hence by water to the Wardrobe, and dined with my Lady,
my Lady Wright being there too, whom I find to be a witty but very
conceited woman and proud. And after dinner Mr. Moore and I to the
Temple, and there he read my bill and likes it well enough, and so we
came back again, he with me as far as the lower end of Cheapside,
and there I gave him a pint of sack and parted, and I home, and went
seriously to look over my papers touching T. Trice, and I think I have
found some that will go near to do me more good in this difference of
ours than all I have before. So to bed with my mind cheery upon it, and
lay long reading "Hobbs his Liberty and Necessity," and a little but
very shrewd piece, and so to sleep.

21st. In the morning again at looking over my last night's papers, and
by and by comes Mr. Moore, who finds that my papers may do me much good.
He staid and dined with me, and we had a good surloyne of rost beefe,
the first that ever I had of my own buying since I kept house; and after
dinner he and I to the Temple, and there showed Mr. Smallwood my papers,
who likes them well, and so I left them with him, and went with Mr.
Moore to Gray's Inn to his chamber, and there he shewed me his old
Camden's "Britannica", which I intend to buy of him, and so took it away
with me, and left it at St. Paul's Churchyard to be bound, and so home
and to the office all the afternoon; it being the first afternoon that
we have sat, which we are now to do always, so long as the Parliament
sits, who this day have voted the King L 120,000

[A mistake. According to the journals, L1,200,000. And see Diary,
February 29th, 1663-64.--M. B.]

to be raised to pay his debts. And after the office with Sir W. Batten
to the Dolphin, and drank and left