is mighty earnest in, but is a foolery in itself, yet
gives me a great deal of trouble to draw up a defence for the Board, as if
it was a crime; but I think I have done it to very good purpose. Then to
my Lady Williams's, with her and my Lord, and there did eat a snapp of
good victuals, and so to Westminster Hall, where we find the House not up,
but sitting all this day about the method of bringing in the charge
against my Lord Chancellor; and at last resolved for a Committee to draw
up the heads, and so rose, and no Committee to sit tonight. Here Sir W.
Coventry and Lord Bruncker and I did in the Hall (between the two Courts
at the top of the Hall) discourse about a letter of [Sir] W. Coventry's to
Bruncker, whereon Bruncker did justify his discharging men by ticket, and
insists on one word which Sir W. Coventry would not seem very earnest to
have left out, but I did see him concerned, and did after labour to
suppress the whole letter, the thing being in itself really impertinent,
but yet so it is that [Sir] W. Coventry do not desire to have his name
used in this business, and I have prevailed with Bruncker for it. Thence
Bruncker and I to the King's House, thinking to have gone into a box
above, for fear of being seen, the King being there, but the play being 3
acts done we would not give 4s., and so away and parted, and I home, and
there after a little supper to bed, my eyes ill, and head full of thoughts
of the trouble this Parliament gives us.

30th. All the morning till past noon preparing over again our report this
afternoon to the Committee of Parliament about tickets, and then home to
eat a bit, and then with Sir W. Pen to White Hall, where we did a very
little business with the Duke of York at our usual meeting, only I
perceive that he do leave all of us, as the King do those about him, to
stand and fall by ourselves, and I think is not without some cares himself
what the Parliament may do in matters wherein his honour is concerned.
Thence to the Parliament-house; where, after the Committee was sat, I was
called in; and the first thing was upon the complaint of a dirty slut that
was there, about a ticket which she had lost, and had applied herself to
me for another. . . . I did give them a short and satisfactory answer
to that; and so they sent her away, and were ashamed of their foolery, in
giving occasion to 500 seamen and seamen's wives to come before them, as
there was this afternoon. But then they