nd Lord
Bruncker to Captain Cocke's (he out of doors), and there drank their
morning draught, and thence [Sir] G. Carteret and I toward the Temple in
coach together; and there he did tell me how the King do all he can in the
world to overthrow my Lord Chancellor, and that notice is taken of every
man about the King that is not seen to promote the ruine of the
Chancellor; and that this being another great day in his business, he
dares not but be there. He tells me that as soon as Secretary Morrice
brought the Great Seale from my Lord Chancellor, Bab. May fell upon his
knees, and catched the King about the legs, and joyed him, and said that
this was the first time that ever he could call him King of England, being
freed from this great man: which was a most ridiculous saying. And he
told me that, when first my Lord Gerard, a great while ago, come to the
King, and told him that the Chancellor did say openly that the King was a
lazy person and not fit to govern, which is now made one of the things in
the people's mouths against the Chancellor, "Why," says the King, "that is
no news, for he hath told me so twenty times, and but the other day he
told me so;" and made matter of mirth at it: but yet this light discourse
is likely to prove bad to him. I 'light at the Temple, and went to my
tailor's and mercer's about a cloake, to choose the stuff, and so to my
bookseller's and bought some books, and so home to dinner, and Simpson my
joyner with me, and after dinner, my wife, and I, and Willett, to the
King's play-house, and there saw "The Indian Emperour," a good play, but
not so good as people cry it up, I think, though above all things Nell's
ill speaking of a great part made me mad. Thence with great trouble and
charge getting a coach (it being now and having been all this day a most
cold and foggy, dark, thick day), we home, and there I to my office, and
saw it made clean from top to bottom, till I feared I took cold in walking
in a damp room while it is in washing, and so home to supper and to bed.
This day I had a whole doe sent me by Mr. Hozier, which is a fine present,
and I had the umbles of it for dinner. This day I hear Kirton, my
bookseller, poor man, is dead, I believe, of grief for his losses by the
fire.

12th. Up, and to the Office, where sat all the morning; and there hear
the Duke of York do yet do very well with his smallpox: pray God he may
continue to do so! This morning also, to my astonishment, I hear