pared with another longer telescope, and the object-glasses
exchanged, was still found to exceed the other in goodness; and his
burning concave being compared with a spherical burning-glass of
almost twice the diameter, and held to the fire, it burnt gloves,
whereas the other spherical ones would not burn at all."--"Sir
Robert Southwell being lately returned from Portugal, where he had
been ambassador from the king, and being desired to acquaint the
society with what he had done with respect to the instructions,
which he had received from them before his departure from England,
related, that he had lodged the astronomical quadrant, which the
society had sent to Portugal to make observations with there, with a
body of men at Lisbon, who had applied themselves among other kinds
of literature to mathematics" (Birch's "History of the Royal
Society," vol. ii., p. 256).]

Thence went away home, and there at my office as long as my eyes would
endure, and then home to supper, and to talk with Mr. Pelling, who tells
me what a fame I have in the City for my late performance; and upon the
whole I bless God for it. I think I have, if I can keep it, done myself
a great deal of repute. So by and by to bed.

13th. Up betimes to my office, where to fit myself for attending the
Parliament again, not to make any more speech, which, while my fame is
good, I will avoid, for fear of losing it; but only to answer to what
objections will be made against us. Thence walked to the Old Swan and
drank at Michell's, whose house is going up apace. Here I saw Betty, but
could not baiser la, and so to Westminster, there to the Hall, where
up to my cozen Roger Pepys at the Parliament door, and there he took me
aside, and told me how he was taken up by one of the House yesterday,
for moving for going on with the King's supply of money, without regard
to the keeping pace therewith, with the looking into miscarriages, and
was told by this man privately that it did arise because that he had a
kinsman concerned therein; and therefore he would prefer the safety of
his kinsman to the good of the nation, and that there was great things
against us and against me, for all my fine discourse the other day. But
I did bid him be at no pain for me; for I knew of nothing but what I was
very well prepared to answer; and so I think I am, and therefore was not
at all disquieted by this. Thence he to the H