e's chamber, and there sat and talked awhile, Sir
Edward Walker being there, and telling us how he hath lost many fine
rowles of antiquity in heraldry by the late fire, but hath saved the most
of his papers. Here was also Dr. Wallis, the famous scholar and
mathematician; but he promises little. Left them, and in the dark and cold
home by water, and so to supper and to read and so to bed, my eyes being
better to-day, and I cannot impute it to anything but by my being much in
the dark to-night, for I plainly find that it is only excess of light that
makes my eyes sore. This after noon I walked with Lord Bruncker into the
Park and there talked of the times, and he do think that the King sees
that he cannot never have much more money or good from this Parliament,
and that therefore he may hereafter dissolve them, that as soon as he has
the money settled he believes a peace will be clapped up, and that there
are overtures of a peace, which if such as the Lord Chancellor can excuse
he will take. For it is the Chancellor's interest, he says, to bring peace
again, for in peace he can do all and command all, but in war he cannot,
because he understands not the nature of the war as to the management
thereof. He tells me he do not believe the Duke of York will go to sea
again, though there are a great many about the King that would be glad of
any occasion to take him out of the world, he standing in their ways; and
seemed to mean the Duke of Monmouth, who spends his time the most
viciously and idly of any man, nor will be fit for any thing; yet bespeaks
as if it were not impossible but the King would own him for his son, and
that there was a marriage between his mother and him; which God forbid
should be if it be not true, nor will the Duke of York easily be gulled in
it. But this put to our other distractions makes things appear very sad,
and likely to be the occasion of much confusion in a little time, and my
Lord Bruncker seems to say that nothing can help us but the King's making
a peace soon as he hath this money; and thereby putting himself out of
debt, and so becoming a good husband, and then he will neither need this
nor any other Parliament, till he can have one to his mind: for no
Parliament can, as he says, be kept long good, but they will spoil one
another, and that therefore it hath been the practice of kings to tell
Parliaments what he hath for them to do, and give them so long time to do
it in, and no longer. Harry