ursed of several things,
particularly the Instructions of Commanders of ships. But here happened
by chance a discourse of the Council of Trade, against which the Duke of
York is mightily displeased, and particularly Mr. Child, against whom he
speaking hardly, Captain Cox did second the Duke of York, by saying
that he was talked of for an unfayre dealer with masters of ships, about
freight: to which Sir T. Littleton very hotly and foolishly replied
presently, that he never heard any honest man speak ill of Child; to
which the Duke of York did make a smart reply, and was angry; so as I
was sorry to hear it come so far, and that I, by seeming to assent to
Cox, might be observed too much by Littleton, though I said nothing
aloud, for this must breed great heart-burnings. After this meeting
done, the Duke of York took the Treasurers into his closet to chide
them, as Mr. Wren tells me; for that my Lord Keeper did last night at
the Council say, when nobody was ready to say any thing against the
constitution of the Navy, that he did believe the Treasurers of the Navy
had something to say, which was very foul on their part, to be parties
against us. They being gone, Mr. Wren [and I] took boat, thinking to
dine with my Lord of Canterbury; but, when we come to Lambeth, the gate
was shut, which is strictly done at twelve o'clock, and nobody comes in
afterwards: so we lost our labour, and therefore back to White Hall,
and thence walked my boy Jacke with me, to my Lord Crew, whom I have
not seen since he was sick, which is eight months ago, I think and there
dined with him: he is mightily broke. A stranger a country gentleman,
was with him: and he pleased with my discourse accidentally about the
decay of gentlemen's families in the country, telling us that the old
rule was, that a family might remain fifty miles from London one hundred
years, one hundred miles from London two hundred years, and so farther,
or nearer London more or less years. He also told us that he hath heard
his father say, that in his time it was so rare for a country gentleman
to come to London, that, when he did come, he used to make his will
before he set out. Thence: to St. James's, and there met the Duke of
York, who told me, with great content, that he did now think he should
master our adversaries, for that the King did tell him that he was;
satisfied in the constitution of the Navy, but that it was well to give
these people leave to object against it, which