and there walked in the garden, the first time I ever was there; and a
pretty place it is, and here we eat and drank and stayed till 9 at night,
and so home by moonshine . . . . And so set Mrs. Knepp at her lodging,
and so the rest, and I home talking with a great deal of pleasure, and so
home to bed.

8th. Up, and to the office, where busy all the morning. Towards noon I
to Westminster and there understand that the Lords' House did sit till
eleven o'clock last night, about the business in difference between them
and the Commons, in the matter of the East India Company. Here took a
turn or two, and up to my Lord Crew's, and there dined; where Mr. Case,
the minister, a dull fellow in his talk, and all in the Presbyterian
manner; a great deal of noise and a kind of religious tone, but very dull.
After dinner my Lord and I together. He tells me he hears that there are
great disputes like to be at Court, between the factions of the two women,
my Lady Castlemayne and Mrs. Stewart, who is now well again, and the King
hath made several public visits to her, and like to come to Court: the
other is to go to Barkeshire-house, which is taken for her, and they say a
Privy-Seal is passed for L5000 for it. He believes all will come to ruin.
Thence I to White Hall, where the Duke of York gone to the Lords' House,
where there is to be a conference on the Lords' side to the Commons this
afternoon, giving in their Reasons, which I would have been at, but could
not; for, going by direction to the Prince's chamber, there Brouncker, W.
Pen, and Mr. Wren, and I, met, and did our business with the Duke of York.
But, Lord! to see how this play of Sir Positive At-all,--["The
Impertinents."]--in abuse of Sir Robert Howard, do take, all the Duke's
and every body's talk being of that, and telling more stories of him, of
the like nature, that it is now the town and country talk, and, they say,
is most exactly true. The Duke of York himself said that of his playing
at trap-ball is true, and told several other stories of him. This being