that the pretty maid of the Ship tavern I spoke of yesterday is
married there, which I am glad of. So having spent this night, with much
serious pleasure to consider that I am in a condition to fling away an
angell

[The angel coin was so called from the figure of the Archangel
Michael in conflict with the dragon on the obverse. On the reverse
was a representation of a ship with a large cross as a mast. The
last angel coined was in Charles I.'s reign, and the value varied
from 6s. 8d. to 10s.]

in such a refreshment to myself and family, we home and to bed, leaving
Mercer, by the way, at her own door.

22nd. Up, and with Sir W. Batten and [Sir] J. Minnes to St. James's,
where the first time I have been there since the enemy's being with us,
where little business but lack of money, which now is so professed by
Sir W. Coventry as nothing is more, and the King's whole business owned
to be at a stand for want of it. So up to my Lord Chancellor's, where
was a Committee of Tangier in my Lord's roome, where he is to hear
causes, where all the judges' pictures hang up, very fine. Here I read
my letter to them, which was well received, and they did fall seriously
to discourse the want of money and other particulars, and to some pretty
good purpose. But to see how Sir W. Coventry did oppose both my
Lord Chancellor and the Duke of York himself, about the Order of the
Commissioners of the Treasury to me for not paying of pensions, and with
so much reason, and eloquence so natural, was admirable. And another
thing, about his pressing for the reduction of the charge of Tangier,
which they would have put off to another time; "But," says he, "the King
suffers so much by the putting off of the consideration of reductions
of charge, that he is undone; and therefore I do pray you, sir, to his
Royal Highness, that when any thing offers of the kind, you will not let
it escape you." Here was a great bundle of letters brought hither, sent
up from sea, from a vessel of ours that hath taken them after they had
been flung over by a Dutchman; wherein, among others, the Duke of York
did read the superscription of one to De Witt, thus "To the most wise,
foreseeing and discreet, These, &c.;" which, I thought with myself, I
could have been glad might have been duly directed to any one of them
at the table, though the greatest men in this kingdom. The Duke of
York, the Lord Chancellor, my Lord Duke of Albemarle, Arlington