the King's playhouse, where two acts were almost
done when I come in; and there I sat with my cloak about my face, and saw
the remainder of "The Mayd's Tragedy;" a good play, and well acted,
especially by the younger Marshall, who is become a pretty good actor, and
is the first play I have seen in either of the houses since before the
great plague, they having acted now about fourteen days publickly. But I
was in mighty pain lest I should be seen by any body to be at a play.
Soon as done I home, and then to my office awhile, and then home and spent
the night evening my Tangier accounts, much to my satisfaction, and then
to supper, and mighty good friends with my poor wife, and so to bed.

8th. Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and at noon
home to dinner, and there find Mr. Pierce and his wife and Betty, a pretty
girle, who in discourse at table told me the great Proviso passed the
House of Parliament yesterday; which makes the King and Court mad, the
King having given order to my Lord Chamberlain to send to the playhouses
and bawdy houses, to bid all the Parliament-men that were there to go to
the Parliament presently. This is true, it seems; but it was carried
against the Court by thirty or forty voices. It is a Proviso to the Poll
Bill, that there shall be a Committee of nine persons that shall have the
inspection upon oath, and power of giving others, of all the accounts of
the money given and spent for this warr. This hath a most sad face, and
will breed very ill blood. He tells me, brought in by Sir Robert Howard,
who is one of the King's servants, at least hath a great office, and hath
got, they say, L20,000 since the King come in. Mr. Pierce did also tell me
as a great truth, as being told it by Mr. Cowly, who was by, and heard it,
that Tom Killigrew should publiquely tell the King that his matters were
coming into a very ill state; but that yet there was a way to help all,
which is, says he, "There is a good, honest, able man, that I could name,
that if your Majesty would employ, and command to see all things well
executed, all things would soon be mended; and this is one Charles Stuart,
who now spends his time in employing his lips . . . . about the Court,
and hath no other employment; but if you would give him this employment,
he were the fittest man in the world to perform it." This, he says, is
most true; but the King do not profit by any of this, but lays all aside,
and remember