nd I out, we set her at my cozen Turner's
while we to White Hall, where the Duke of York expected me; and in his
closet Wren and I. He did tell me how the King hath been acquainted with
the Treasurers' discourse at the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury,
the other day, and is dissatisfied with our running him in debt, which
I removed; and he did, carry me to the King, and I did satisfy him also;
but his satisfaction is nothing worth, it being easily got, and easily
removed; but I do purpose to put in writing that which shall make the
Treasurers ashamed. But the Duke of York is horrid angry against them;
and he hath cause, for they do all they can to bring dishonour upon his
management, as do vainly appear in all they do. Having done with the
Duke of York, who do repose all in me, I with Mr. Wren to his, chamber,
to talk; where he observed, that these people are all of them a broken
sort of people, that have not much to lose, and therefore will venture
all to make their fortunes better: that Sir Thomas Osborne is a
beggar, having 11 of L1200 a-year, but owes above L10,000. The Duke
of Buckingham's condition is shortly this: that he hath about L19,600
a-year, of which he pays away about L7,000 a-year in interest, about
L2000 in fee-farm rents to the King, about L6000 wages and pensions, and
the rest to live upon, and pay taxes for the whole. Wren says, that for
the Duke of York to stir in this matter, as his quality might justify,
would but make all things worse, and that therefore he must bend, and
suffer all, till time works it out: that he fears they will sacrifice
the Church, and that the King will take anything, and so he will hold up
his head a little longer, and then break in pieces. But Sir W. Coventry
did today mightily magnify my late Lord Treasurer, for a wise and solid,
though infirm man: and, among other things, that when he hath said it
was impossible in nature to find this or that sum of money, and my Lord
Chancellor hath made sport of it, and tell the King that when my Lord
hath said it [was] impossible, yet he hath made shift to find it, and
that was by Sir G. Carteret's getting credit, my Lord did once in his
hearing say thus, which he magnifies as a great saying--that impossible
would be found impossible at last; meaning that the King would run
himself out, beyond all his credit and funds, and then we should too
late find it impossible; which is, he says, now come to pass. For that
Sir W. Coventry says t