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Page:Diary of the times of Charles II Vol. I.djvu/119

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THE TIMES OF CHARLES THE SECOND.
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pretence of complaining of the present actions. The Lord C. is more my Lord Danby's friend than any body; he got him to keep his staff ten days which cost the King £200,000. Afterwards I went with Sir William Temple to Mr. Van Beuninghen, who was gone the day before; we then went to Mr. Van Lewin, (a very good sort of man) who received us with great civility, and made me many compliments upon my going into Holland.

6th.I executed my office; afterwards Sir John Baber[1] came to me, and complained of the Prince

  1. Agent of the Presbyterians and Duke of York.— Orig Note. He was physician in ordinary to the King. North, in his Examen, describes him as a "busy body in tricking affairs, a man of finess, in possession of the protectorship of the dissenters after the manner of the cardinals for nations at Rome." Pepys mentions a peculiarity of Sir John Baber: "He hath this humour, that he will not enter into discourse whilst any stranger is in company, till he is told who he is that seems a stranger to him; this he did declare openly to me, and asked my Lord Brouncker who I was."

    This Sir John Baber is set down, in Barillon's list of those members of the popular party who were pensioners of Louis, for 500 guineas, where he describes him "as one who is not in this parliament, but who has many connections in the Lower House, and who formed my connection with Lord Hollis.". . . . . "He has been very useful to me on many occasions, and it is through him I have been informed in time of what passes in the different cabals."— Pepys's Memoirs. i. 397; Dalrymple, i. 338.

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