Diary, Mar/Apr 1664/65 | Page 9

late, and
then home to supper and to bed.

19th (Lord's day). Mr. Povy sent his coach for me betimes, and I to him,
and there to our great trouble do find that my Lord FitzHarding do

appear for Mr. Brunkard
[Henry Brouncker, younger brother of William, Viscount Brouncker,
President of the Royal Society. He was Groom of the Bedchamber to
the Duke of York, and succeeded to the office of Cofferer on the death
of William Ashburnham in 1671. His character was bad, and his
conduct in the sea-fight of 1665 was impugned. He was expelled from
the House of Commons, but succeeded to his brother's title in 1684. He
died in January, 1687.]
to be Paymaster upon Povy's going out, by a former promise of the
Duke's, and offering to give as much as any for it. This put us all into a
great dumpe, and so we went to Creed's new lodging in the Mewes, and
there we found Creed with his parrot upon his shoulder, which struck
Mr. Povy coming by just by the eye, very deep, which, had it hit his
eye, had put it out. This a while troubled us, but not proving very bad,
we to our business consulting what to do; at last resolved, and I to Mr.
Coventry, and there had his most friendly and ingenuous advice,
advising me not to decline the thing, it being that that will bring me to
be known to great persons, while now I am buried among three or four
of us, says he, in the Navy; but do not make a declared opposition to
my Lord FitzHarding. Thence I to Creed, and walked talking in the
Park an hour with him, and then to my Lord Sandwich's to dinner, and
after dinner to Mr. Povy's, who hath been with the Duke of Yorke, and,
by the mediation of Mr. Coventry, the Duke told him that the business
shall go on, and he will take off Brunkerd, and my Lord FitzHarding is
quiett too. But to see the mischief, I hear that Sir G. Carteret did not
seem pleased, but said nothing when he heard me proposed to come in
Povy's room, which may learn me to distinguish between that man that
is a man's true and false friend. Being very glad of this news Mr. Povy
and I in his coach to Hyde Parke, being the first day of the tour there.
Where many brave ladies; among others, Castlemayne lay impudently
upon her back in her coach asleep, with her mouth open. There was
also my Lady Kerneguy,
[Daughter of William, Duke of Hamilton, wife of Lord Carnegy, who
became Earl of Southesk on his father's death. She is frequently

mentioned in the "Memoires de Grammont," and in the letters of the
second Earl of Chesterfield.--B.]
once my Lady Anne Hambleton, that is said to have given the Duke a
clap upon his first coming over. Here I saw Sir J. Lawson's daughter
and husband, a fine couple, and also Mr. Southwell and his new lady,
very pretty. Thence back, putting in at Dr. Whore's, where I saw his
lady, a very fine woman. So home, and thither by my desire comes by
and by Creed and lay with me, very merry and full of discourse, what
to do to-morrow, and the conveniences that will attend my having of
this place, and I do think they may be very great.

20th. Up, Creed and I, and had Mr. Povy's coach sent for us, and we to
his house; where we did some business in order to the work of this day.
Povy and I to my Lord Sandwich, who tells me that the Duke is not
only a friend to the business, but to me, in terms of the greatest love
and respect and value of me that can be thought, which overjoys me.
Thence to St. James's, and there was in great doubt of Brunkerd, but at
last I hear that Brunkerd desists. The Duke did direct Secretary Bennet,
who was there, to declare his mind to the Tangier Committee, that he
approves of me for Treasurer; and with a character of me to be a man
whose industry and discretion he would trust soon as any man's in
England: and did the like to my Lord Sandwich. So to White Hall to the
Committee of Tangier, where there were present, my Lord of
Albemarle, my Lord Peterborough, Sandwich, Barkeley, FitzHarding,
Secretary Bennet, Sir Thomas Ingram, Sir John Lawson, Povy and I.
Where, after other business, Povy did declare his business very
handsomely; that he was sorry he had been so unhappy in his accounts,
as not to give their Lordships the satisfaction he intended, and that he
was sure his accounts are