to prove, that he did never take a token of any captain to
get him employed in his life beforehand, or demanded any thing: and for
the other accusation, that the Cavaliers are not employed, he looked
over the list of them now in the service, and of the twenty-seven that
are employed, thirteen have been heretofore always under the King; two
neutralls, and the other twelve men of great courage, and such as had
either the King's particular commands, or great recommendation to put
them in, and none by himself. Besides that, he says it is not the King's
nor Duke's opinion that the whole party of the late officers should
be rendered desperate. And lastly, he confesses that the more of the
Cavaliers are put in, the less of discipline hath followed in the fleet;
and that, whenever there comes occasion, it must be the old ones that
must do any good, there being only, he says, but Captain Allen good for
anything of them all. He tells me, that he cannot guess whom all this
should come from; but he suspects Sir G. Carteret, as I also do, at
least that he is pleased with it. But he tells me that he will bring Sir
G. Carteret to be the first adviser and instructor of him what to make
his place of benefit to him; telling him that Smith did make his
place worth L5000 and he believed L7000 to him the first year; besides
something else greater than all this, which he forbore to tell me. It
seems one Sir Thomas Tomkins of the House, that makes many mad motions,
did bring it into the House, saying that a letter was left at his
lodgings, subscribed by one Benson (which is a feigned name, for there
is no such man in the Navy), telling him how many places in the Navy
have been sold. And by another letter, left in the same manner since,
nobody appearing, he writes him that there is one Hughes and another
Butler (both rogues, that have for their roguery been turned out of
their places), that will swear that Mr. Coventry did sell their places
and other things. I offered him my service, and will with all my heart
serve him; but he tells me he do not think it convenient to meddle, or
to any purpose, but is sensible of my love therein. So I bade him good
morrow, he being out of order to speak anything of our office business,
and so away to Westminster Hall, where I hear more of the plot from
Ireland; which it seems hath been hatching, and known to the Lord
Lieutenant a great while, and kept close till within three days that
it should have taken effec