] and two strangers.
The best family in the world for goodness and sobriety. Here
beyond my expectation I met my Lord Hinchingbroke, who is come to
town two days since from Hinchingbroke, and brought his sister
and brother Carteret with him, who are at Sir G. Carteret's.
After dinner I and Sir Thomas Crewe went aside to discourse of
public matters, and do find by him that all the country gentlemen
are publickly jealous of the courtiers in the Parliament, and
that they do doubt every thing that they propose; and that the
true reason why the country-gentlemen are for a land-tax and
against a general excise, is, because they are fearful that if
the latter be granted, they shall never get it down again;
whereas the land-tax will be but for so much, and when the war
ceases, there will be no ground got by the court to keep it up.
He says the House would be very glad to get something against Sir
G. Carteret, and will not let their inquiries die till they have
got something. He do, from what he hath heard at the Committee
for examining the burning of the City, conclude it as a thing
certain, that it was done by plots; it being proved by many
witnesses that endeavours were made in several places to encrease
the fire, and that both in City and country it was bragged by
several Papists, that upon such a day or in such a time we should
find the hottest weather that ever was in England; and words of
plainer sense.
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