that they may meet: and they have declared
that they will have a morning lecture

[During the troubled reign of Charles I., the House of Commons gave
parishioners the right of appointing lecturers at the various
churches without the consent of rector or vicar, and this naturally
gave rise to many quarrels. In the early period of the war between
the king and the parliament, a course of sermons or lectures was
projected in aid of the parliamentary cause. These lectures, which
were preached by eminent Presbyterian divines at seven o'clock on
the Sunday mornings, were commenced in the church of St. Mary
Magdalen in Milk Street, but were soon afterwards removed to St.
Giles's, Cripplegate. After the Restoration the lectures were
collected in four volumes, and published under the title of the
"Cripplegate Morning Exercises," vol. i. in 1661; vol. ii. in 1674;
vol. iii. in 1682; and vol. iv. in 1690. In addition there were two
volumes which form a supplement to the work, viz., "The Morning
Exercises methodized," preached at St. Giles's-in-the-Fields, edited
by the Rev. Thomas Case in 1660, and the "Exercises against Popery,"
preached in Southwark, and published in 1675 (see Demon's "Records
of St. Giles's, Crinnlegate," 1883, pp. 55-56).]

up again, which is pretty strange; and they are connived at by the King
every where, I hear, in City and country. So to visit W. Pen, who is yet
ill, and then home, where W. Batelier and Mrs. Turner come and sat and
supped with us, and so they gone we to bed. This afternoon my wife, and
Mercer, and Deb., went with Pelting to see the gypsies at Lambeth, and
have their fortunes told; but what they did, I did not enquire.

12th. Up, and all the morning busy at my office. Thence to the Excise
Office, and so to the Temple to take counsel about Major Nicholls's
business for the King. So to several places about business, and among
others to Drumbleby's about the mouths for my paper tubes, and so to the
'Change and home. Met Captain Cocke, who tells me that he hears for
certain the Duke of York will lose the authority of an Admiral, and be
governed by a Committee: and all our Office changed; only they are in
dispute whether I shall continue or no, which puts new thoughts in me, but
I know not whether to be glad or sorry. Home to dinner, where Pelting
dines with us, and brings some partridges, which