26th. Up, and Greeting come, and I reckoned with him for his teaching of
my wife and me upon the flageolet to this day, and so paid him for having
as much as he can teach us. Then to the Office, where we sat upon a
particular business all the morning: and my Lord Anglesey with us: who,
and my Lord Bruncker, do bring us news how my Lord Chancellor's seal is to
be taken away from him to-day. The thing is so great and sudden to me,
that it put me into a very great admiration what should be the meaning of
it; and they do not own that they know what it should be: but this is
certain, that the King did resolve it on Saturday, and did yesterday send
the Duke of Albemarle, the only man fit for those works, to him for his
purse: to which the Chancellor answered, that he received it from the
King, and would deliver it to the King's own hand, and so civilly returned
the Duke of Albemarle without it; and this morning my Lord Chancellor is
to be with the King, to come to an end in the business. After sitting, we
rose, and my wife being gone abroad with Mrs. Turner to her washing at the
whitster's, I dined at Sir W. Batten's, where Mr. Boreman was, who come
from White Hall; who tells us that he saw my Lord Chancellor come in his
coach with some of his men, without his Seal, to White Hall to his
chamber; and thither the King and Duke of York come and staid together
alone, an hour or more: and it is said that the King do say that he will
have the Parliament meet, and that it will prevent much trouble by having
of him out of their enmity, by his place being taken away; for that all
their enmity will be at him. It is said also that my Lord Chancellor
answers, that he desires he may be brought to his trial, if he have done
any thing to lose his office; and that he will be willing, and is most
desirous, to lose that, and his head both together. Upon what terms they
parted nobody knows but the Chancellor looked sad, he says. Then in comes
Sir Richard Ford, and says he hears that there is nobody more presses to
reconcile the King and Chancellor than the Duke of Albemarle and Duke of