Diary, Feb/Mar 1668/69 | Page 8

am
mightily pleased with his ingenious and modest company.

11th. Up, and to the office, where sat all the morning, and at noon
home and heard that the last night Colonel Middleton's wife died, a
woman I never saw since she come hither, having never been within
their house since. Home at noon to dinner, and thence to work all the
afternoon with great pleasure, and did bring my business to a very little
compass in my day book, which is a mighty pleasure, and so home to
supper and get my wife to read to me, and then to bed.

12th. Up, and my wife with me to White Hall, and Tom, and there she
sets us down, and there to wait on the Duke of York, with the rest of us,
at the Robes, where the Duke of York did tell us that the King would
have us prepare a draught of the present administration of the Navy,
and what it was in the late times, in order to his being able to
distinguish between the good and the bad, which I shall do, but to do it
well will give me a great deal of trouble. Here we shewed him Sir J.
Minnes's propositions about balancing Storekeeper's accounts; and I
did shew him Hosier's, which did please him mightily, and he will have

it shewed the Council and King anon, to be put in practice. Thence to
the Treasurer's; and I and Sir J. Minnes and Mr. Tippets down to the
Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, and there had a hot debate from
Sir Thomas Clifford and my Lord Ashly (the latter of which, I hear, is
turning about as fast as he can to the Duke of Buckingham's side, being
in danger, it seems, of being otherwise out of play, which would not be
convenient for him), against Sir W. Coventry and Sir J. Duncomb, who
did uphold our Office against an accusation of our Treasurers, who told
the Lords that they found that we had run the King in debt L50,000 or
more, more than the money appointed for the year would defray, which
they declared like fools, and with design to hurt us, though the thing is
in itself ridiculous. But my Lord Ashly and Clifford did most horribly
cry out against the want of method in the Office. At last it come that it
should be put in writing what they had to object; but I was devilish mad
at it, to see us thus wounded by our own members, and so away vexed,
and called my wife, and to Hercules Pillars, Tom and I, there dined;
and here there coming a Frenchman by with his Shew, we did make
him shew it us, which he did just as Lacy acts it, which made it mighty
pleasant to me. So after dinner we away and to Dancre's, and there saw
our picture of Greenwich in doing, which is mighty pretty, and so to
White Hall, my wife to Unthank's, and I attended with Lord Brouncker
the King and Council, about the proposition of balancing Storekeeper's
accounts and there presented Hosier's book, and it was mighty well
resented and approved of. So the Council being up, we to the Queen's
side with the King and Duke of York: and the Duke of York did take
me out to talk of our Treasurers, whom he is mighty angry with: and I
perceive he is mighty desirous to bring in as many good motions of
profit and reformation in the Navy as he can, before the Treasurers do
light upon them, they being desirous, it seems, to be thought the great
reformers: and the Duke of York do well. But to my great joy he is
mighty open to me in every thing; and by this means I know his whole
mind, and shall be able to secure myself, if he stands. Here to-night I
understand, by my Lord Brouncker, that at last it is concluded on by the
King and Buckingham that my Lord of Ormond shall not hold his
government of Ireland, which is a great stroke, to shew the power of
Buckingham and the poor spirit of the King, and little hold that any
man can have of him. Thence I homeward, and calling my wife called

at my cozen Turner's, and there met our new cozen Pepys (Mrs.
Dickenson), and Bab. and Betty' come yesterday to town, poor girls,
whom we have reason to love, and mighty glad we are to see them; and
there staid and talked a little, being also mightily pleased to see Betty
Turner, who is now in town, and her brothers Charles and Will, being
come from school to see their father, and there talked a while,