h's tutor, put the idea into his head that
Charles II. had married his mother. The report was sedulously
spread abroad, and obtained some kind of credence, until, in June,
1678, the king set the matter at rest by publishing a declaration,
which was entered in the Council book and registered in Chancery.
The words of the declaration are: "That to avoid any dispute which
might happen in time to come concerning the succession of the Crown,
he (Charles) did declare, in the presence of Almighty God, that he
never gave, nor made any contract of marriage, nor was married to
Mrs. Barlow, alias Waters, the Duke of Monmouth's mother, nor to any
other woman whatsoever, but to his present wife, Queen Catherine,
then living."]

but surely the Commons of England will never do it, nor the Duke of
York suffer it, whose lady, I am told, is very troublesome to him by
her jealousy. But it is wonderful that Sir Charles Barkeley should be so
great still, not [only] with the King, but Duke also; who did so stiffly
swear that he had lain with her.

[The conspiracy of Sir Charles Berkeley, Lord Arran, Jermyn, Talbot,
and Killigrew to traduce Anne Hyde was peculiarly disgraceful, and
the conduct of all the actors in the affair of the marriage, from
Lord Clarendon downwards, was far from creditable (see Lister's
"Life of Clarendon," ii. 68-79)]

And another one Armour that he rode before her on horseback in Holland I
think.... No care is observed to be taken of the main chance, either
for maintaining of trade or opposing of factions, which, God knows, are
ready to break out, if any of them (which God forbid!) should dare to
begin; the King and every man about him minding so much their pleasures
or profits. My Lord Hinchingbroke, I am told, hath had a mischance to
kill his boy by his birding-piece going off as he was a-fowling. The gun
was charged with small shot, and hit the boy in the face and about the
temples, and he lived four days. In Scotland, it seems, for all
the newes-books tell us every week that they are all so quiett, and
everything in the Church settled, the old woman had like to have killed,
the other day, the Bishop of Galloway, and not half the Churches of the
whole kingdom conform. Strange were the effects of the late thunder and
lightning about a week since at Northampton, coming with great rain,
which caused extraordinary floods in a few hours,