it Edgar, which is a brave name. But it seems they are more joyful in the
Chancellor's family, at the birth of this Prince, than in wisdom they
should, for fear it should give the King cause of jealousy. Sir H.
Cholmly do not seem to think there is any such thing can be in the King's
intention as that of raising the Duke of Monmouth to the Crowne, though he
thinks there may possibly be some persons that would, and others that
would be glad to have the Queen removed to some monastery, or somewhere or
other, to make room for a new wife; for they will all be unsafe under the
Duke of York. He says the King and Parliament will agree; that is, that
the King will do any thing that they will have him. We together to the
Exchequer about our Tangier orders, and so parted at the New Exchange,
where I staid reading Mrs. Phillips's poems till my wife and Mercer called
me to Mrs. Pierces, by invitation to dinner, where I find her painted,
which makes me loathe her, and the nastiest poor dinner that made me sick,
only here I met with a Fourth Advice to the Painter upon the coming in of
the Dutch to the River and end of the war, that made my heart ake to read,
it being too sharp, and so true. Here I also saw a printed account of the
examinations taken, touching the burning of the City of London, shewing
the plot of the Papists therein; which, it seems, hath been ordered and to
have been burnt by the hands of the hangman, in Westminster Palace. I
will try to get one of them. After dinner she showed us her closet, which
is pretty, with her James's picture done by Hales, but with a mighty bad
hand, which is his great fault that he do do negligently, and the drapery
also not very good. Being tired of being here, and sick of their damned
sluttish dinner, my wife and Mercer and I away to the King's play-house,
to see the "Scornfull Lady;" but it being now three o'clock there was not
one soul in the pit; whereupon, for shame, we would not go in, but,
against our wills, went all to see "Tu Quoque" again, where there is a
pretty store of company, and going with a prejudice the play appeared
better to us. Here we saw Madam Morland, who is grown mighty fat, but is