possible ways of chewing it. And it was the other day a strange saying,
as I am told by my cozen Roger Pepys, in the House, when it was moved that
the King's speech should be considered, that though the first part of the
Speech, meaning the league that is there talked of, be the only good
publick thing that hath been done since the King come into England, yet it
might bear with being put off to consider, till Friday next, which was
this day. Secretary Morrice did this day in the House, when they talked
of intelligence, say that he was allowed but L70 a-year for
intelligence,--[Secret service money]--whereas, in Cromwell's time, he
[Cromwell] did allow L70,000 a-year for it; and was confirmed therein by
Colonel Birch, who said that thereby Cromwell carried the secrets of all
the princes of Europe at his girdle. The House is in a most broken
condition; nobody adhering to any thing, but reviling and finding fault:
and now quite mad at the Undertakers, as they are commonly called,
Littleton, Lord Vaughan, Sir R. Howard, and others that are brought over
to the Court, and did undertake to get the King money; but they despise,
and would not hear them in the House; and the Court do do as much, seeing
that they cannot be useful to them, as was expected. In short, it is
plain that the King will never be able to do any thing with this
Parliament; and that the only likely way to do better, for it cannot do
worse, is to break this and call another Parliament; and some do think
that it is intended. I was told to-night that my Lady Castlemayne is so
great a gamester as to have won L5000 in one night, and lost L25,000 in
another night, at play, and hath played L1000 and L1500 at a cast. Thence
to the Temple, where at Porter's chamber I met Captain Cocke, but lost our
labour, our Counsellor not being within, Pemberton, and therefore home and
late at my office, and so home to supper and to bed.

15th. Up betimes, and with Captain Cocke my coach to the Temple to his
Counsel again about the prize goods in order to the drawing up of his