Diary, January 1668/69 | Page 9

which do mighty well, to my full content; but only a
little stiff, as being new. Thence, taking leave of my guests, he and I
and W. Hewer to White Hall, and there parting with Spong, a man that
I mightily love for his plainness and ingenuity, I into the Court, and
there up and down and spoke with my Lords Bellassis and
Peterborough about the business now in dispute, about my deputing a
Treasurer to pay the garrison at Tangier, which I would avoid, and not
be accountable, and they will serve me therein. Here I met Hugh May,
and he brings me to the knowledge of Sir Henry Capell, a Member of
Parliament, and brother of my Lord of Essex, who hath a great value, it
seems, for me; and they appoint a day to come and dine with me, and
see my books, and papers of the Office, which I shall be glad to shew
them, and have opportunity to satisfy them therein. Here all the
discourse is, that now the King is of opinion to have the Parliament
called, notwithstanding his late resolutions for proroguing them; so

unstable are his councils, and those about him. So staying late talking
in the Queen's side, I away, with W. Hewer home, and there to read and
talk with my wife, and so to bed.

18th. Up by candlelight, and with W. Hewer walked to the Temple, and
thence took coach and to Sir William Coventry's, and there discoursed
the business of my Treasurer's place, at Tangier, wherein he consents to
my desire, and concurs therein, which I am glad of, that I may not be
accountable for a man so far off. And so I to my Lord Sandwich's, and
there walk with him through the garden, to White Hall, where he tells
me what he had done about this Treasurer's place, and I perceive the
whole thing did proceed from him: that finding it would be best to have
the Governor have nothing to do with the pay of the garrison, he did
propose to the Duke of York alone that a pay-master should be there;
and that being desirous to do a courtesy to Sir Charles Harbord, and to
prevent the Duke of York's looking out for any body else, he did name
him to the Duke of York. That when he come the other day to move
this to the Board of Tangier, the Duke of York, it seems, did readily
reply, that it was fit to have Mr. Pepys satisfied therein first, and that it
was not good to make places for persons. This my Lord in great
confidence tells me, that he do take very ill from the Duke of York,
though nobody knew the meaning of these words but him; and that he
did take no notice of them, but bit his lip, being satisfied that the Duke
of York's care of me was as desirable to him, as it could be to have Sir
Charles Harbord: and did seem industrious to let me see that he was
glad that the Duke of York and he might come to contend who shall be
the kindest to me, which I owned as his great love, and so I hope and
believe it is, though my Lord did go a little too far in this business, to
move it so far, without consulting me. But I took no notice of that, but
was glad to see this competition come about, that my Lord Sandwich is
apparently jealous of my thinking that the Duke of York do mean me
more kindness than him. So we walked together, and I took this
occasion to invite him to dinner one day to my house, and he readily
appointed Friday next, which I shall be glad to have over to his content,
he having never yet eat a bit of my bread. Thence to the Duke of York
on the King's side, with our Treasurers of the Navy, to discourse some
business of the Navy, about the pay of the yards, and there I was taken

notice of, many Lords being there in the room, of the Duke of York's
conference with me; and so away, and meeting Mr. Sidney Montagu
and Sheres, a small invitation served their turn to carry them to London,
where I paid Sheres his L100, given him for his pains in drawing the
plate of Tangier fortifications, &c., and so home to my house to dinner,
where I had a pretty handsome sudden dinner, and all well pleased; and
thence we three and my wife to the Duke of York's playhouse, and
there saw "The Witts," a medley of things, but some similes mighty
good, though ill mixed; and thence with my wife to