nd I alone. He did begin with a most solemn profession of the same
confidence in and love for me that he ever had, and then told me what a
misfortune was fallen upon me and him: in me, by a displeasure which my
Lord Chancellor did show to him last night against me, in the highest
and most passionate manner that ever any man did speak, even to the not
hearing of any thing to be said to him: but he told me, that he did say
all that could be said for a man as to my faithfullnesse and duty to his
Lordship, and did me the greatest right imaginable. And what should the
business be, but that I should be forward to have the trees in Clarendon
Park marked and cut down, which he, it seems, hath bought of my Lord
Albemarle; when, God knows! I am the most innocent man in the world in
it, and did nothing of myself, nor knew of his concernment therein, but
barely obeyed my Lord Treasurer's warrant for the doing thereof. And
said that I did most ungentlemanlike with him, and had justified the
rogues in cutting down a tree of his; and that I had sent the veriest
Fanatique [Deane] that is in England to mark them, on purpose to
nose--[provoke]--him. All which, I did assure my Lord, was most properly
false, and nothing like it true; and told my Lord the whole passage. My
Lord do seem most nearly affected; he is partly, I believe, for me, and
partly for himself. So he advised me to wait presently upon my Lord, and
clear myself in the most perfect manner I could, with all submission and
assurance that I am his creature both in this and all other things; and
that I do owne that all I have, is derived through my Lord Sandwich from
his Lordship. So, full of horror, I went, and found him busy in tryals
of law in his great room; and it being Sitting-day, durst not stay, but
went to my Lord and told him so: whereupon he directed me to take him
after dinner; and so away I home, leaving my Lord mightily concerned for
me. I to the office, and there sat busy all the morning. At noon to the
'Change, and from the 'Change over with Alsopp and the others to the
Pope's Head tavern, and there staid a quarter of an hour, and concluded
upon this, that in case I got them no more than 3s. per week per man
I should have of them but L150 per ann., but to have it without any
adventure or charge, but if I got them 3s. 2d., then they would give me
L300 in the like manner. So I directed them to draw up their tender in
a line or two against the afternoon, and to meet me