th their prizes" ("Calendar of State Papers," 1667,
p. 298).]

and Sir W. Batten do offer me L1000 down for my particular share, beside
Sir Richard Ford's part, which do tempt me; but yet I would not take it,
but will stand and fall with the company. He and two more, the Panther
and Fanfan, did enter into consortship; and so they have all brought
in each a prize, though ours worth as much as both theirs, and more.
However, it will be well worth having, God be thanked for it! This news
makes us all very glad. I at Sir W. Batten's did hear the particulars of
it; and there for joy he did give the company that were there a bottle
or two of his own last year's wine, growing at Walthamstow, than which
the whole company said they never drank better foreign wine in their
lives. Home, and to dinner, and by and by comes Mr. Pierce, who is
interested in the Panther, for some advice, and then comes Creed, and he
and I spent the whole afternoon till eight at night walking and talking
of sundry things public and private in the garden, but most of all of
the unhappy state of this nation at this time by the negligence of
the King and his Council. The Duke of Buckingham is, it seems, set at
liberty, without any further charge against him or other clearing of
him, but let to go out; which is one of the strangest instances of the
fool's play with which all publick things are done in this age, that is
to be apprehended. And it is said that when he was charged with
making himself popular--as indeed he is, for many of the discontented
Parliament, Sir Robert Howard and Sir Thomas Meres, and others, did
attend at the Council-chamber when he was examined--he should answer,
that whoever was committed to prison by my Lord Chancellor or my Lord
Arlington, could not want being popular. But it is worth considering
the ill state a Minister of State is in, under such a Prince as ours
is; for, undoubtedly, neither of those two great men would have been
so fierce against the Duke of Buckingham at the Council-table the
other day, had they [not] been assured of the King's good liking, and
supporting them therein: whereas, perhaps at the desire of my Lady
Castlemayne, who, I suppose, hath at last overcome the King, the Duke of
Buckingham is well received again, and now these men delivered up to the
interest he can make for his revenge. He told me over the story of Mrs.
Stewart, much after the manner which I was told it long since, and
have entered it