rosty
weather. In the afternoon my father, he going to a man's to demand some
money due to my Aunt Bells my wife and I went to Mr. Mossum's, where a
strange doctor made a very good sermon. From thence sending my wife to
my father's, I went to Mrs. Turner's, and staid a little while, and then
to my father's, where I found Mr. Sheply, and after supper went home
together. Here I heard of the death of Mr. Palmer, and that he was to be
buried at Westminster tomorrow.

9th. For these two or three days I have been much troubled with thoughts
how to get money to pay them that I have borrowed money of, by reason
of my money being in my uncle's hands. I rose early this morning, and
looked over and corrected my brother John's speech, which he is to make
the next apposition,--[Declamations at St. Paul's School, in which
there were opponents and respondents.]--and after that I went towards my
office, and in my way met with W. Simons, Muddiman, and Jack Price, and
went with them to Harper's and in many sorts of talk I staid till two
of the clock in the afternoon. I found Muddiman a good scholar, an arch
rogue; and owns that though he writes new books for the Parliament,
yet he did declare that he did it only to get money; and did talk very
basely of many of them. Among other things, W. Simons told me how his
uncle Scobel was on Saturday last called to the bar, for entering in
the journal of the House, for the year 1653, these words: "This day his
Excellence the Lord General Cromwell dissolved this House;" which words
the Parliament voted a forgery, and demanded of him how they came to be
entered. He answered that they were his own handwriting, and that he
did it by virtue of his office, and the practice of his predecessor; and
that the intent of the practice was to--let posterity know how such and
such a Parliament was dissolved, whether by the command of the King, or
by their own neglect, as the last House of Lords was; and that to this
end, he had said and writ that it was dissolved by his Excellence the
Lord G[eneral]; and that for the word dissolved, he never at the time
did hear of any other term; and desired pardon if he would not dare
to make a word himself when it was six years after, before they came
themselves to call it an interruption; but they were so little satisfied
with this answer, that they did chuse a committee to report to the
House, whether this crime of Mr. Scobell's did come within the act of
indemnity or no. T