says he, "I have done my do in helping
to get him out of the administration of things, for which he is not fit;
but for his life or estate I will have nothing to say to it: besides that,
my duty to my master the Duke of York is such, that I will perish before I
will do any thing to displease or disoblige him, where the very necessity
of the kingdom do not in my judgment call me." Thence I home and to the
office, where my Lord Anglesey, and all the discourse was yesterday's vote
in the Commons, wherein he told us that, should the Lords yield to what
the Commons would have in this matter, it were to make them worse than any
justice of Peace (whereas they are the highest Court in the Kingdom) that
they cannot be judges whether an offender be to be committed or bailed,
which every justice of Peace do do, and then he showed me precedents plain
in their defence. At noon home to dinner, and busy all the afternoon, and
at night home, and there met W. Batelier, who tells me the first great
news that my Lord Chancellor is fled this day. By and by to Sir W. Pen's,
where Sir R. Ford and he and I met, with Mr. Young and Lewes, about our
accounts with my Lady Batten, which prove troublesome, and I doubt will
prove to our loss. But here I hear the whole that my Lord Chancellor is
gone, and left a paper behind him for the House of Lords, telling them the
reason of him retiring, complaining of a design for his ruin. But the
paper I must get: only the thing at present is great, and will put the
King and Commons to some new counsels certainly. So home to supper and to
bed. Sir W. Pen I find in much trouble this evening, having been called to
the Committee this afternoon, about the business of prizes. Sir Richard
Ford told us this evening an odd story of the basenesse of the late Lord
Mayor, Sir W. Bolton, in cheating the poor of the City, out of the
collections made for the people that were burned, of L1800; of which he
can give no account, and in which he hath forsworn himself plainly, so as
the Court of Aldermen have sequestered him from their Court till he do
bring in an account, which is the greatest piece of roguery that they say
was ever found in a Lord Mayor. He says also that this day hath been made
appear to them that the Keeper of Newgate, at this day, hath made his
house the only nursery of rogues, and whores, and pickpockets, and thieves
in the world; where they were bred and entertained, and the whole society
met: and tha