, thinking and
being expected to dissolve themselves to-day, but they did not. Great
talk to-night that the discontented officers did think this night to
make a stir, but prevented. To the Fox again. Home with my wife, and to
bed extraordinary sleepy.

16th. No sooner out of bed but troubled with abundance of clients,
seamen. My landlord Vanly's man came to me by my direction yesterday,
for I was there at his house as I was going to London by water, and I
paid him rent for my house for this quarter ending at Lady day, and took
an acquittance that he wrote me from his master. Then to Mr. Sheply, to
the Rhenish Tavern House, where Mr. Pim, the tailor, was, and gave us a
morning draft and a neat's tongue. Home and with my wife to London, we
dined at my father's, where Joyce Norton and Mr. Armiger dined also.
After dinner my wife took leave of them in order to her going to-morrow
to Huntsmore. In my way home I went to the Chapel in Chancery Lane
to bespeak papers of all sorts and other things belonging to writing
against my voyage. So home, where I spent an hour or two about my
business in my study. Thence to the Admiralty, and staid a while, so
home again, where Will Bowyer came to tell us that he would bear my wife
company in the coach to-morrow. Then to Westminster Hall, where I heard
how the Parliament had this day dissolved themselves, and did pass very
cheerfully through the Hall, and the Speaker without his mace. The whole
Hall was joyful thereat, as well as themselves, and now they begin to
talk loud of the King. To-night I am told, that yesterday, about five
o'clock in the afternoon, one came with a ladder to the Great Exchange,
and wiped with a brush the inscription that was upon King Charles, and
that there was a great bonfire made in the Exchange, and people called
out "God bless. King Charles the Second!"

["Then the writing in golden letters, that was engraven under the
statue of Charles I, in the Royal Exchange ('Exit tyrannus, Regum
ultimus, anno libertatis Angliae, anno Domini 1648, Januarie xxx.)
was washed out by a painter, who in the day time raised a ladder,
and with a pot and brush washed the writing quite out, threw down
his pot and brush and said it should never do him any more service,
in regard that it had the honour to put out rebels' hand-writing.
He then came down, took away his ladder, not a misword said to him,
and by whose order it was done was no