Diary of the times of Charles II/Volume 1/Diary continued, February 6

by Henry Sidney

February 6th.⁠Colonel Fitzpatrick was with me to take his leave. Monsieur Campricht was with me. He tells me that the Emperor begins to arm; that the Elector of Brandenburgh is cross, and complains of his being ill used, and will not join his forces any more for the good of the empire. He hopes that the King will prevail upon him. Monsieur Huneken told me there was certainly an alliance between France and Denmark; he heard it from Bremen. I went afterwards to see Monsieur Heugh; he seems not to have any orders to make any alliance with France. I was with the Prince, and found him in a very ill humour upon the Lords quitting. He thinks it will have a very ill effect here.^[1]

1. "In this time the Lord Rassel, Lord Cavendish, Sir H. Capel, and Mr. Powle, distasted at the late prorogation, as well as at the manner of it; and, pretending to despair of being able to serve the King any longer, in a conduct of affairs so disagreeable to the general humour of the people, went to the King together, and desired his Majesty to excuse their attendance any more upon him at Council, which the King very easily consented to. Lord Salisbury, Lord Essex, and Lord Halifax, seemed to have taken the same resolution, though not in so much form ; upon which I thought it might be a great prejudice to his Majesty's affairs to be left by so many at once; and that, if I wholly gave over at the same time, it would look like entering into a faction with persons who were only displeased with the present scene upon hopes of entering soon upon another, which was no part of my thoughts or designs; therefore I resolved to go again to Council, to show I had not herded with those that had left it, and that my leaving