Duke of York,
but did little business, and he, I perceive, his head full of other
business, and of late hath not been very ready to be troubled with any
of our business. Having done with him, Sir J. Minnes, [Sir] W. Batten
and I to White Hall, and there hear how it is like to go well enough
with my Lord Chancellor; that he is like to keep his Seal, desiring that
he may stand his trial in Parliament, if they will accuse him of any
thing. Here Sir J. Minnes and I looking upon the pictures; and Mr.
Chevins, being by, did take us, of his own accord, into the King's
closet, to shew us some pictures, which, indeed, is a very noble place,
and exceeding great variety of brave pictures, and the best hands.
I could have spent three or four hours there well, and we had great
liberty to look and Chevins seemed to take pleasure to shew us, and
commend the pictures. Having done here, I to the Exchange, and there
find my wife gone with Sir W. Pen. So I to visit Colonel Fitzgerald, who
hath been long sick at Woolwich, where most of the officers and soldiers
quartered there, since the Dutch being in the river, have died or been
sick, and he among the rest; and, by the growth of his beard and gray
[hairs], I did not know him. His desire to speak with me was about the
late command for my paying no more pensions for Tangier. Thence home,
and there did business, and so in the evening home to supper and to bed.
This day Mr. Pierce, the surgeon, was with me; and tells me how this
business of my Lord Chancellor's was certainly designed in my Lady
Castlemayne's chamber; and that, when he went from the King on Monday
morning, she was in bed, though about twelve o'clock, and ran out in her
smock into her aviary looking into White Hall garden; and thither her
woman brought her her nightgown; and stood joying herself at the old
man's going away: and several of the gallants of White Hall, of which
there were many staying to see the Chancellor return, did talk to her in
her birdcage; among others, Blancford, telling her she was the bird of
paradise.

[Clarendon refers to this scene in the continuation of his Life (ed.
1827, vol. iii., p. 291), and Lister writes: "Lady Castlemaine rose
hastily from her noontide bed, and came out into her aviary, anxious
to read in the saddened air of her distinguished enemy some presage
of his fall" ("Life of Clarendon," vol. ii., p. 412).]

28th. Up; and staid undressed till my tailor's boy