the House had a mind to put them upon, things that should make
them odious; and so it would be in their power to do what they
would with them. We were told that the Parliament had sent Scott
and Robinson to Monk this afternoon, but he would not hear them.
And that the Mayor and Aldermen had offered their own houses for
himself and his officers; and that his soldiers would lack for
nothing. And indeed I saw many people give the soldiers drink
and money, and all along the streets cried, "God bless them!"
and extraordinary good words. Hence we went to a merchant's
house hard by, where I saw Sir Nich. Crisp, [An eminent merchant
and one of the Farmers of the Customs. He had advanced large
sums to assist Charles I., who created him a Baronet. He died
1667, aged 67.] and so we went to the star Tavern, (Monk being
then at Benson's.) In Cheapside there was a great many bonfires,
and Bow bells and all the bells in all the churches as we went
home were a-ringing. Hence we went homewards, it being about ten
at night. But the common joy that was every where to be seen!
The number of bonfires, there being fourteen between St.
Dunstan's and Temple Bar, and at Strand Bridge I could at one
time tell thirty-one fires. In King-street seven or eight; and
all along burning, and roasting, and drinking for rumps. There
being rumps tied upon sticks and carried up and down. The
butchers at the May Pole in the Strand rang a peal with their
knives when they were going to sacrifice their rump. On Ludgate
Hill there was one turning of the spit that had a rump tied upon
it, and another basting of it. Indeed it was past imagination,
both the greatness and the suddenness of it. At one end of the
street you would think there was a whole lane on fire, and so
hot that we were fain to keep on the further side.