Diary, April 1668 | Page 7

and apt to be tired.

5th (Lord's day). Up, and to my chamber, and there to the writing fair
some of my late musique notions, and so to church, where I have not
been a good while, and thence home, and dined at home, with W.
Hewer with me; and after dinner, he and I a great deal of good talk
touching this Office, how it is spoiled by having so many persons in it,
and so much work that is not made the work of any one man, but of all,
and so is never done; and that the best way to have it well done, were to
have the whole trust in one, as myself, to set whom I pleased to work in

the several businesses of the Office, and me to be accountable for the
whole, and that would do it, as I would find instruments: but this is not
to be compassed; but something I am resolved to do about Sir J.
Minnes before it be long. Then to my chamber again, to my musique,
and so to church; and then home, and thither comes Captain Silas
Taylor to me, the Storekeeper of Harwich, where much talk, and most
of it against Captain Deane, whom I do believe to be a high, proud
fellow; but he is an active man, and able in his way, and so I love him.
He gone, I to my musique again, and to read a little, and to sing with
Mr. Pelling, who come to see me, and so spent the evening, and then to
supper and to bed. I hear that eight of the ringleaders in the late tumults
of the 'prentices at Easter are condemned to die.
[Four were executed on May 9th, namely, Thomas Limmerick, Edward
Cotton, Peter Massenger, and Richard Beasley. They were drawn,
hanged, and quartered at Tyburn, and two of their heads fixed upon
London Bridge ("The London Gazette," No. 259). See "The Tryals of
such persons as under the notion of London Apprentices were
tumultuously assembled in Moore Fields, under colour of pulling down
bawdy-houses," 4to., London, 1668. "It is to be observed," says "The
London Gazette," "to the just vindication of the City, that none of the
persons apprehended upon the said tumult were found to be apprentices,
as was given out, but some idle persons, many of them nursed in the
late Rebellion, too readily embracing any opportunity of making their
own advantages to the disturbance of the peace, and injury of others."]

6th. Betimes I to Alderman Backewell, and with him to my Lord
Ashly's, where did a little business about Tangier, and to talk about the
business of certificates, wherein, contrary to what could be believed,
the King and Duke of York themselves, in my absence, did call for
some of the Commissioners of the Treasury, and give them directions
about the business [of the certificates], which I, despairing to do any
thing on a Sunday, and not thinking that they would think of it
themselves, did rest satisfied, and stayed at home all yesterday, leaving
it to do something in this day; but I find that the King and Duke of
York had been so pressing in it, that my Lord Ashly was more forward
with the doing of it this day, than I could have been. And so I to White
Hall with Alderman Backewell in his coach, with Mr. Blany; my Lord's

Secretary: and there did draw up a rough draught of what order I would
have, and did carry it in, and had it read twice and approved of, before
my Lord Ashly and three more of the Commissioners of the Treasury,
and then went up to the Council-chamber, where the Duke of York, and
Prince Rupert, and the rest of the Committee of the Navy were sitting:
and I did get some of them to read it there: and they would have had it
passed presently, but Sir John Nicholas desired they would first have it
approved by a full Council: and, therefore, a Council Extraordinary was
readily summoned against the afternoon, and the Duke of York run
presently to the King, as if now they were really set to mind their
business, which God grant! So I thence to Westminster, and walked in
the Hall and up and down, the House being called over to-day, and
little news, but some talk as if the agreement between France and Spain
were like to be, which would be bad for us, and at noon with Sir
Herbert Price to Mr. George Montagu's to dinner, being invited by him
in the hall, and there mightily made of, even to great trouble to me to
be so commended before my face, with that flattery and importunity,
that