Page:Diary of the times of Charles II Vol. I.djvu/281

Rh sand of the sea. He is of Spire; his name is Doctor Becker. The first experiment was made before the Pensioner at Haarlem, and some other of the States; then they made the report of it, and they think it feasible, and have agreed to give him 50,000 crowns and two in the hundred of all he makes; he undertakes that the profit shall be a hundred in a hundred; next week the experiment is to be made at the house for casting of cannon. The States that saw the experiment are sworn to secrecy. In April he proposed this. Mr. Rockwood thinks he is a cheat: he hath had thoughts of going into England; he is as poor as other chymists use to be. Mr. Rockwood tells me that Mr. Sergeant knows a great deal; that he was ghostly father to Coleman's wife. The Duke hates him; he was first a Protestant, and studied at Cambridge, then a Roman Catholic but no Papist, and will take the oath of Supremacy; he will prove that a Jesuit said that the Queen might lawfully poison the King for violating her bed. He hath writ against Stillingfleet and Dr. Hammond. In the morning I