d over,
with Sir W. Coventry, my long letter to the Duke of York, and which the
Duke of York hath, from mine, wrote to the Board, wherein he is mightily
pleased, and I perceive do put great value upon me, and did talk very
openly on all matters of State, and how some people have got the bit
into their mouths, meaning the Duke of Buckingham and his party, and
would likely run away with all. But what pleased me mightily was to hear
the good character he did give of my Lord Falmouth for his generosity,
good-nature, desire of public good, and low thoughts of his own wisdom;
his employing his interest in the King to do good offices to all people,
without any other fault than the freedom he, do learn in France of
thinking himself obliged to serve his King in his pleasures: and was
W. Coventry's particular friend: and W. Coventry do tell me very odde
circumstances about the fatality of his death, which are very strange.
Thence to White Hall to chapel, and heard the anthem, and did dine with
the Duke of Albemarle in a dirty manner as ever. All the afternoon, I
sauntered up and down the house and Park. And there was a Committee for
Tangier met, wherein Lord Middleton would, I think, have found fault
with me for want of coles; but I slighted it, and he made nothing of it,
but was thought to be drunk; and I see that he hath a mind to find fault
with me and Creed, neither of us having yet applied ourselves to him
about anything: but do talk of his profits and perquisites taken from
him, and garrison reduced, and that it must be increased, and such
things, as; I fear, he will be just such another as my Lord Tiviott and
the rest, to ruin that place. So I to the Park, and there walk an hour
or two; and in the King's garden, and saw the Queen and ladies walk;
and I did steal some apples off the trees; and here did see my Lady
Richmond, who is of a noble person as ever I saw, but her face worse
than it was considerably by the smallpox: her sister' is also very
handsome. Coming into the Park, and the door kept strictly, I had
opportunity of handing in the little, pretty, squinting girl of the Duke
of York's house, but did not make acquaintance with her; but let her go,
and a little girl that was with her, to walk by themselves. So to White
Hall in the evening, to the Queen's side, and there met the Duke of
York; and he did tell me and W. Coventry, who was with me, how that Lord
Anglesey did take notice of our reading his long and sharp let