at fifteen thousand pounds in
money, besides what offices, lands, and reversions, to others, that
it is a mercy they gave not away the whole land, and liberty, of
England. The Earl of Clare made a very bold and rational harangue,
the King being present, against the King's sitting among the Lords,
contrary to former precedents, during their debates; but he was not
seconded. The King had this April prorogued, upon the Houses
cavilling, and their harsh conferences concerning some bills, the
Parliament from this April till the 16th of April 1672. Sir John
Coventry's Bill against Cutting Noses passed, and O'Brian and Sir
Thomas Sands, not appearing at the Old Baily by the time limited,
stand attainted and outlawed, without possibility of pardon. The
Duke of Buckingham is again one hundred and forty thousand pounds in
debt, and, by this prorogation, his creditors have time to tear all
his lands in pieces. The House of Commons has run almost to the end
of their line, and are grown extreme chargeable to the King, and
odious to the people. Lord St. John, Marquess of Westminster's son,
one of the House of Commons, Sir Robert Howard, Sir John Benet, Lord
Arlington's brother, Sir William Bucknoll, the brewer, all of the
House, in fellowship with some others of the city, have farmed the
old customs, with the new act of Imposition upon Wines, and the Wine
Licenses, at six hundred thousand pounds a year, to begin this
Michaelmas. You may be sure they have covenants not to be losers.
They have signed and sealed ten thousand pounds a year more to the
Duchess of Cleveland, who has likewise near ten thousand pounds a
year out of the new farm of the country excise of Beer and Ale, five
thousand pounds a year out of the Post Office, and, they say, the
reversion of all the King's leases, the reversion of places all in
the Custom House, the green wax, and indeed, what not? All
promotions, spiritual and temporal, pass under her cognizance.
Buckingham runs out of all with the Lady Shrewsbury, by whom he
believes he had a son, to whom the King stood godfather; it dyed,
young Earl of Coventry, and was buryed in the sepulchre of his
fathers. The King of France made a warlike progresse this summer
through his conquests of Flanders, but kept the peace there, and
detains still the Dutchy of Lorain, and has stired up the German
Princes against th