t it, he told me that the Prince will be asking now
who this Pepys is, and find him to be a creature of my Lord Sandwich's,
and therefore this was done only to disparage him. Anon they broke, up,
and Sir W. Coventry come out; so I asked his advice. He told me he
had said something to salve it, which was, that his Highnesse had, he
believed, rightly informed the King that the fleete is come in good
condition to have staid out yet longer, and have fought the enemy,
but yet that Mr. Pepys his meaning might be, that, though in so good
condition, if they should come in and lie all the winter, we shall be
very loth to send them to sea for another year's service with[out] great
repairs. He said it would be no hurt if I went to him, and showed him
the report himself brought up from the fleete, where every ship, by the
Commander's report, do need more or less, and not to mention more of
Sir W. Pen for doing him a mischief. So I said I would, but do not think
that all this will redound to my hurt, because the truth of what I said
will soon appear. Thence, having been informed that, after all this
pains, the King hath found out how to supply us with 5 or L6000, when
L100,000 were at this time but absolutely necessary, and we mentioned
L50,000. This is every day a greater and greater omen of ruine. God fit
us for it! Sir J. Minnes and I home (it raining) by coach, calling only
on Sir G. Cartefet at his lodging (who is I find troubled at my Lord
Treasurer and Sir Ph. Warwicke bungling in his accounts), and come home
to supper with my father, and then all to bed. I made my brother in his
cassocke to say grace this day, but I like his voice so ill that I begin
to be sorry he hath taken this order upon him.

8th. Up and to my office, called up by Commissioner Middleton, newly
come to town, but staid not with me; so I to my office busy all the
morning. Towards noon, by water to Westminster Hall, and there by
several hear that the Parliament do resolve to do something to retrench
Sir G. Carteret's great salary; but cannot hear of any thing bad they
can lay to his charge. The House did this day order to be engrossed the
Bill against importing Irish cattle; a thing, it seems, carried on by
the Western Parliament-men, wholly against the sense of most of the rest
of the House; who think if you do this, you give the Irish again cause
to rebel. Thus plenty on both sides makes us mad. The Committee of the
Canary Company of both factions come to