upon my sending for him, and we three to Creed's chamber, and there sat a
good while and drank chocolate. Here I am told how things go at Court;
that the young men get uppermost, and the old serious lords are out of
favour; that Sir H. Bennet, being brought into Sir Edward Nicholas's
place, Sir Charles Barkeley is made Privy Purse; a most vicious person,
and one whom Mr. Pierce, the surgeon, to-day (at which I laugh to myself),
did tell me that he offered his wife L300 per annum to be his mistress.
He also told me that none in Court hath more the King's ear now than Sir
Charles Barkeley, and Sir H. Bennet, and my Lady Castlemaine, whose
interest is now as great as ever and that Mrs. Haslerigge, the great
beauty, is got with child, and now brought to bed, and lays it to the King
or the Duke of York.

[The child was owned by neither of the royal brothers.--B.]

He tells me too that my Lord St. Albans' is like to be Lord Treasurer: all
which things do trouble me much. Here I staid talking a good while, and
so by water to see Mr. Moore, who is out of bed and in a way to be well,
and thence home, and with Commr. Pett by water to view Wood's masts that
he proffers to sell, which we found bad, and so to Deptford to look over
some businesses, and so home and I to my office, all our talk being upon
Sir J. M. and Sir W. B.'s base carriage against him at their late being at
Chatham, which I am sorry to hear, but I doubt not but we shall fling Sir
W. B. upon his back ere long. At my office, I hearing Sir W. Pen was not
well, I went to him to see, and sat with him, and so home and to bed.

18th. This morning, having resolved of my brother's entertaining his
mistress's mother to-morrow, I sent my wife thither to-day to lie there
to-night and to direct him in the business, and I all the morning at the
office, and the afternoon intent upon my workmen, especially my joyners,