ur report in Mr. Carcasses business, in which we continued till 9
o'clock, that the office met, and then to the office, where all the
morning, and so at noon home to dinner, where Mr. Holliard come and eat
with us, who among other things do give me good hopes that we shall give
my father some ease as to his rupture when he comes to town, which I
expect to-morrow. After dinner comes Fist, and he and I to our report
again till 9 o'clock, and then by coach to my Lord Chancellor's, where I
met Mr. Povy, expecting the coming of the rest of the Commissioners for
Tangier. Here I understand how the two Dukes, both the only sons of the
Duke of York, are sick even to danger, and that on Sunday last they
were both so ill, as that the poor Duchess was in doubt which would die
first: the Duke of Cambridge of some general disease; the other little
Duke, whose title I know not, of the convulsion fits, of which he had
four this morning. Fear that either of them might be dead, did make us
think that it was the occasion that the Duke of York and others were not
come to the meeting of the Commission which was designed, and my Lord
Chancellor did expect. And it was pretty to observe how, when my Lord
sent down to St. James's to see why the Duke of York come not, and Mr.
Povy, who went, returned, my Lord (Chancellor) did ask, not how the
Princes or the Dukes do, as other people do, but "How do the children?"
which methought was mighty great, and like a great man and grandfather.
I find every body mightily concerned for these children, as a matter
wherein the State is much concerned that they should live. At last it
was found that the meeting did fail from no known occasion, at which my
Lord Chancellor was angry, and did cry out against Creed that he should
give him no notice. So Povy and I went forth, and staid at the gate of
the house by the streete, and there stopped to talk about the business
of the Treasury of Tangier, which by the badness of our credit, and the
resolution that the Governor shall not be paymaster, will force me to
provide one there to be my paymaster, which I will never do, but rather
lose my place, for I will not venture my fortune to a fellow to be
employed so far off, and in that wicked place. Thence home, and with
Fist presently to the finishing the writing fair of our report. And by
and by to Sir W. Batten's, and there he and I and [Sir] J. Minnes and
[Sir] W. Pen did read and sign it with great good liking, and so aw