tells me how well and merry all are
there, and how nobly used by my cozen. He gone, after dinner I to work
again, and Gibson having wrote our answer fair and got Brouncker and
the rest to sign it, I by coach to White Hall to the Committee of the
Council, which met late, and Brouncker and J. Minnes with me, and there
the Duke of York present (but not W. Coventry, who I perceive do wholly
avoid to have to do publickly in this business, being shy of appearing
in any Navy business, which I telling him the other day that I thought
the King might suffer by it, he told me that the occasion is now so
small that it cannot be fatal to the service, and for the present it is
better for him not to appear, saying that it may fare the worse for his
appearing in it as things are now governed), where our answer was read
and debated, and some hot words between the Duke of York and Sir T.
Clifford, the first for and the latter against Gawden, but the whole put
off to to-morrow's Council, for till the King goes out of town the
next week the Council sits every day. So with the Duke of York and
some others to his closet, and Alderman Backewell about a Committee of
Tangier, and there did agree upon a price for pieces of eight at 4s.
6d. Present the Duke of York, Arlington, Berkeley, Sir J. Minnes, and
myself. They gone, the Duke of York did tell me how hot Clifford is for
Child, and for removing of old Officers, he saying plainly to-night,
that though D. Gawden was a man that had done the best service that he
believed any man, or any ten men, could have done, yet that it was for
the King's interest not to let it lie too long in one hand, lest nobody
should be able to serve him but one. But the Duke of York did openly
tell him that he was not for removing of old servants that have done
well, neither in this place, nor in any other place, which is very nobly
said. It being 7 or 8 at night, I home with Backewell by coach, and so
walked to D. Gawden's, but he not at home, and so back to my chamber,
the boy to read to me, and so to supper and to bed.

26th. Could sleep but little last night, for my concernments in this
business of the victualling for Sir D. Gawden, so up in the morning and
he comes to me, and there I did tell him all, and give him my advice,
and so he away, and I to the office, where we met and did a little
business, and I left them and by water to attend the Council, which I
did all the morning, but was not called in, but the Cou