When the high court of justice was voted in the parliament house, as
Berkenhead (the mace bearer) took up the mace to carry it before the
Speaker, the top of the mace fell off. This was avowed to me by an eye
witness then in the house.

The head of King Charles I's. staff did fall off at his trial: that is
commonly known.

The second lesson for the 30th of January in the calendar before the
common prayer, is concerning the trial of Christ: which, when Bishop
Duppa read, the King was displeased with him, thinking he had done it
of choice; but the Bishop cleared himself by the calendar, as is to be
seen.

King Charles II. was crowned at the very conjunction of the sun and
Mercury; Mercury being then in "Corde Solis". As the King was at
dinner in Westminster Hall, it thundered and lightened extremely. The
cannons and the thunder played together.

King Charles II. went by long sea to Portsmouth or Plymouth, or both;
an extraordinary storm arose, which carried him almost to France. Sir
Jonas Moor (who was then with his Majesty) gave me this account, and
said, that when they came to Portsmouth to refresh themselves, they
had not been there above half an hour, but the weather was calm, and
the sun shone: his Majesty put to sea again, and in a little time
they had the like tempestuous weather as before.

Not long before the death of King Charles II. a Sparrow-hawk escaped
from the perch, and pitched on one of the iron crowns of the white
tower, and entangling its string in the crown, hung by the heels and