Davis has railed against Sir W. Batten for his endeavouring to turn him
out of his place, at which for the fellow's sake, because it will likely
prove his ruin, I am sorry, though I do believe he is a very arch rogue. I
took Strutt by coach with me to White Hall, where I set him down, and I to
my Lord's, but found him gone out betimes to the Wardrobe, which I am glad
to see that he so attends his business, though it troubles me that my
counsel to my prejudice must be the cause of it. They tell me that he
goes into the country next week, and that the young ladies come up this
week before the old lady. Here I hear how two men last night, justling
for the wall about the New Exchange, did kill one another, each thrusting
the other through; one of them of the King's Chappell, one Cave, and the
other a retayner of my Lord Generall Middleton's. Thence to White Hall;
where, in the Duke's chamber, the King came and stayed an hour or two
laughing at Sir W. Petty, who was there about his boat; and at Gresham
College in general; at which poor Petty was, I perceive, at some loss; but
did argue discreetly, and bear the unreasonable follies of the King's
objections and other bystanders with great discretion; and offered to take
oddes against the King's best boates; but the King would not lay, but
cried him down with words only. Gresham College he mightily laughed at,
for spending time only in weighing of ayre, and doing nothing else since
they sat. Thence to Westminster Hall, and there met with diverse people,
it being terme time. Among others I spoke with Mrs. Lane, of whom I
doubted to hear something of the effects of our last meeting about a
fortnight or three weeks ago, but to my content did not. Here I met with
Mr. Pierce, who tells me of several passages at Court, among others how
the King, coming the other day to his Theatre to see "The Indian Queene"
(which he commends for a very fine thing), my Lady Castlemaine was in the
next box before he came; and leaning over other ladies awhile to whisper
to the King, she rose out of the box and went into the King's, and set
herself on the King's right hand, between the King and the Duke of York;