ce in the world hath. He tells me that he meets with
unmannerly usage by Sir Robert Southwell, in Portugall, who would sign
with him in his negociations there, being a forward young man: but that my
Lord mastered him in that point, it being ruled for my Lord here, at a
hearing of a Committee of the Council. He says that if my Lord can
compass a peace between Spain and Portugall, and hath the doing of it and
the honour himself, it will be a thing of more honour than ever any man
had, and of as much advantage. Thence to Westminster Hall, where the Hall
mighty full: and, among other things, the House begins to sit to-day, and
the King come. But, before the King's coming, the House of Commons met;
and upon information given them of a Bill intended to be brought in, as
common report said, for Comprehension, they did mightily and generally
inveigh against it, and did vote that the King should be desired by the
House (and the message delivered by the Privy-counsellers of the House)
that the laws against breakers of the Act of Uniformity should be put in
execution: and it was moved in the House that, if any people had a mind to
bring any new laws into the House, about religion, they might come, as a
proposer of new laws did in Athens, with ropes about their necks. By and
by the King comes to the Lords' House, and there tells them of his league
with Holland, and the necessity of a fleete, and his debts; and,
therefore, want of money; and his desire that they would think of some way
to bring in all his Protestant subjects to a right understanding and peace
one with another; meaning the Bill of Comprehension. The Commons coming
to their House, it was moved that the vote passed this morning might be
suspended, because of the King's speech, till the House was full and
called over, two days hence: but it was denied, so furious they are
against this Bill: and thereby a great blow either given to the King or
Presbyters, or, which is the rather of the two, to the House itself, by
denying a thing desired by the King, and so much desired by much the
greater part of the nation. Whatever the consequence be, if the King be a
man of any stomach and heat, all do believe that he will resent this vote.
Thence with Creed home to my house to dinner, where I met with Mr.
Jackson, and find my wife angry with Deb., which vexes me. After dinner
by coach away to Westminster; taking up a friend of Mr. Jackson's, a young
lawyer, and parting with Cre