Westminster; and there landing at the New Exchange
stairs, I to Sir W. Coventry: and there he read over to me the Prince's
and the Duke of Albemarle's Narratives; wherein they are very severe
against him and our Office. But [Sir] W. Coventry do contemn them; only
that their persons and qualities are great, and so I do perceive [he] is
afeard of them, though he will not confess it. But he do say that, if he
can get out of these briars, he will never trouble himself with Princes
nor Dukes again. He finds several things in their Narratives, which are
both inconsistent and foolish, as well as untrue, especially as to what
the Duke of Albemarle avers of his knowing of the enemy's being abroad
sooner than he says it, which [Sir] W. Coventry will shew him his own
letter against him, for I confess I do see so much, that, were I but
well possessed of what I should have in the world, I think I could
willingly retreat, and trouble myself no more with it. Thence home, and
there met Sir H. Cholmly, and he and I to the Excise Office to see what
tallies are paying, and thence back to the Old Exchange, by the way
talking of news, and he owning Sir W. Coventry, in his opinion, to be
one of the worthiest men in the nation, as I do really think he is. He
tells me he do think really that they will cut off my Lord Chancellor's
head, the Chancellor at this day showing as much pride as is possible to
those few that venture their fortunes by coming to see him; and that the
Duke of York is troubled much, knowing that those that fling down the
Chancellor cannot stop there, but will do something to him, to prevent
his having it in his power hereafter to avenge himself and father-in-law
upon them. And this Sir H. Cholmly fears may be by divorcing the Queen
and getting another, or declaring the Duke of Monmouth legitimate; which
God forbid! He tells me he do verily believe that there will come in
an impeachment of High Treason against my Lord of Ormond; among other
things, for ordering the quartering of soldiers in Ireland on free
quarters; which, it seems, is High Treason in that country, and was one
of the things that lost the Lord Strafford his head, and the law is not
yet repealed; which, he says, was a mighty oversight of him not to
have it repealed, which he might with ease have done, or have justified
himself by an Act. From the Exchange I took a coach, and went to
Turlington, the great spectacle-maker, for advice, who dissuades me from
using