is Parliament in thirty days: which is the best newes I have heard a
great while, and will, if any thing, save the kingdom. How the King come
to be advised to this, I know not; but he tells me that it was against the
Duke of York's mind flatly, who did rather advise the King to raise money
as he pleased; and against the Chancellor's, who told the King that Queen
Elizabeth did do all her business in eighty-eight without calling a
Parliament, and so might he do, for anything he saw. But, blessed be God!
it is done; and pray God it may hold, though some of us must surely go to
the pot, for all must be flung up to them, or nothing will be done. So
back home, and my wife down by water, I sent her, with Mrs. Hewer and her
son, W. Hewer, to see the sunk ships, while I staid at the office, and in
the evening was visited by Mr. Roberts the merchant by us about the
getting him a ship cleared from serving the King as a man of war, which I
will endeavour to do. So home to supper and to bed.
26th. Up, and in dressing myself in my dressing chamber comes up Nell,
and I did play with her . . . . So being ready I to White Hall by
water, and there to the Lords Treasurers' chamber, and there wait, and
here it is every body's discourse that the Parliament is ordered to meet
the 25th of July, being, as they say, St. James's day; which every
creature is glad of. But it is pretty to consider how, walking to the Old
Swan from my house, I met Sir Thomas Harvy, whom, asking the newes of the
Parliament's meeting, he told me it was true, and they would certainly
make a great rout among us. I answered, I did not care for my part,
though I was ruined, so that the Commonwealth might escape ruin by it. He
answered, that is a good one, in faith; for you know yourself to be
secure, in being necessary to the office; but for my part, says he, I must
look to be removed; but then, says he, I doubt not but I shall have amends
made me; for all the world knows upon what terms I come in; which is a
saying that a wise man would not unnecessarily have said, I think, to any
body, meaning his buying his place of my Lord Barkely [of Stratton]. So
we parted, and I to White Hall, as I said before, and there met with Sir
Stephen Fox and Mr. Scawen, who both confirm the news of the Parliament's
meeting. Here I staid for an order for my Tangier money, L30,000, upon
the 11 months' tax, and so away to my Lord Arlington's office, and there
spoke to him about Mr
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