the business of the interest of the great
sum of money I paid him long since without interest. But I did not now
move him in it. But presently comes down the House of Commons, the King
having made then a very short and no pleasing speech to them at all, not
at all giving them thanks for their readiness to come up to town at this
busy time; but told them that he did think he should have had occasion for
them, but had none, and therefore did dismiss them to look after their own
occasions till October; and that he did wonder any should offer to bring
in a suspicion that he intended to rule by an army, or otherwise than by
the laws of the land, which he promised them he would do; and so bade them
go home and settle the minds of the country in that particular; and only
added, that he had made a peace which he did believe they would find
reasonable, and a good peace, but did give them none of the particulars
thereof. Thus they are dismissed again to their general great distaste, I
believe the greatest that ever Parliament was, to see themselves so
fooled, and the nation in certain condition of ruin, while the King, they
see, is only governed by his lust, and women, and rogues about him. The
Speaker, they found, was kept from coming in the morning to the House on
purpose, till after the King was come to the House of Lords, for fear they
should be doing anything in the House of Commons to the further
dissatisfaction of the King and his courtiers. They do all give up the
kingdom for lost that I speak to; and do hear what the King says, how he
and the Duke of York do do what they can to get up an army, that they may
need no more Parliaments: and how my Lady Castlemayne hath, before the
late breach between her and the King, said to the King that he must rule
by an army, or all would be lost, and that Bab. May hath given the like
advice to the King, to crush the English gentlemen, saying that L300
a-year was enough for any man but them that lived at Court. I am told
that many petitions were provided for the Parliament, complaining of the
wrongs they have received from the Court and courtiers, in city and
country, if the Parliament had but sat: and I do perceive they all do
resolve to have a good account of the money spent before ever they give a
farthing more: and the whole kingdom is everywhere sensible of their being
abused, insomuch that they forced their Parliament-men to come up to sit;
and my cozen Roger told me that (but