ting did get a small running Committee of Tangier, where
I staid but little, and little done but the correcting two or three
egregious faults in the Charter for Tangier after it had so long lain
before the Council and been passed there and drawn up by the Atturney
Generall, so slightly are all things in this age done. Thence home to
the office by water, where we sat till noon, and then I moved we might
go to the Duke of York and the King presently to get out their order
in writing that was ordered us yesterday about the business of
certificates, that we might be secure against the tradesmen who (Sir
John Banks by name) have told me this day that they will complain in
Parliament against us for denying to do them right. So we rose of a
sudden, being mighty sensible of this inconvenience we are liable to
should we delay to give them longer, and yet have no order for our
indemnity. I did dine with Sir W. Pen, where my Lady Batten did come
with desire of meeting me there, and speaking with me about the business
of the L500 we demand of her for the Chest. She do protest, before God,
she never did see the account, but that it was as her husband in his
life-time made it, and he did often declare to her his expecting L500,
and that we could not deny it him for his pains in that business, and
that he hath left her worth nothing of his own in the world, and that
therefore she could pay nothing of it, come what will come, but that he
hath left her a beggar, which I am sorry truly for, though it is a
just judgment upon people that do live so much beyond themselves in
housekeeping and vanity, as they did. I did give her little answer, but
generally words that might not trouble her, and so to dinner, and after
dinner Sir W. Pen and I away by water to White Hall, and there did
attend the Duke of York, and he did carry us to the King's lodgings: but
he was asleep in his closet; so we stayed in the Green-Roome, where the
Duke of York did tell us what rules he had, of knowing the weather, and
did now tell us we should have rain before to-morrow, it having been
a dry season for some time, and so it did rain all night almost; and
pretty rules he hath, and told Brouncker and me some of them, which were
such as no reason seems ready to be given. By and by the King comes
out, and he did easily agree to what we moved, and would have the
Commissioners of the Navy to meet us with him to-morrow morning: and
then to talk of other things; about the Qu