his
law against Conventicles is very severe; but Creed, whom I met here, do
tell me that, it being moved that Papists' meetings might be included, the
House was divided upon it, and it was carried in the negative; which will
give great disgust to the people, I doubt. Thence with Creed to Hercules
Pillars by the Temple again, and there dined he and I all alone, and
thence to the King's house, and there did see "Love in a Maze," wherein
very good mirth of Lacy, the clown, and Wintersell, the country-knight,
his master. Thence to the New Exchange to pay a debt of my wife's there,
and so home, and there to the office and walk in the garden in the dark to
ease my eyes, and so home to supper and to bed.

29th. Up, and to my office, where all the morning busy. At noon dined at
home, and my clerks with me, and thence I to White Hall, and there do hear
how Sir W. Pen hath delivered in his answer; and the Lords have sent it
down to the Commons, but they have not yet read it, nor taken notice of
it, so as, I believe, they will by design defer it till they rise, that so
he, by lying under an impeachment, may be prevented in his going to sea,
which will vex him, and trouble the Duke of York. Did little business
with the Duke of York, and then Lord Brouncker and I to the Duke of York's
playhouse, and there saw "Love in a Tubb;" and, after the play done, I
stepped up to Harris's dressing-room, where I never was, and there I
observe much company come to him, and the Witts, to talk, after the play
is done, and to assign meetings. Mine was to talk about going down to see
"The Resolution," and so away, and thence to Westminster Hall, and there
met with Mr. G. Montagu, and walked and talked; who tells me that the best
fence against the Parliament's present fury is delay, and recommended it
to me, in my friends' business and my own, if I have any; and is that,
that Sir W. Coventry do take, and will secure himself; that the King will
deliver up all to the Parliament; and being petitioned the other day by
Mr. Brouncker to protect him, with teares in his eyes, the King did say he
could not, and bid him shift for himself, at least till the House is up.
Thence I away to White Hall, and there took coach home with a stranger I
let into the coach, to club with me for it, he going into London, I set
him down at the lower end of Cheapside, and I home, and to Sir W. Pen's,
and there sat, and by and by, it being now about nine o'clock at night, I