and thither by my desire comes by and by Creed
and lay with me, very merry and full of discourse, what to do to-morrow,
and the conveniences that will attend my having of this place, and I do
think they may be very great.

20th. Up, Creed and I, and had Mr. Povy's coach sent for us, and we to
his house; where we did some business in order to the work of this day.
Povy and I to my Lord Sandwich, who tells me that the Duke is not only
a friend to the business, but to me, in terms of the greatest love and
respect and value of me that can be thought, which overjoys me. Thence
to St. James's, and there was in great doubt of Brunkerd, but at last
I hear that Brunkerd desists. The Duke did direct Secretary Bennet,
who was there, to declare his mind to the Tangier Committee, that he
approves of me for Treasurer; and with a character of me to be a man
whose industry and discretion he would trust soon as any man's in
England: and did the like to my Lord Sandwich. So to White Hall to the
Committee of Tangier, where there were present, my Lord of Albemarle,
my Lord Peterborough, Sandwich, Barkeley, FitzHarding, Secretary Bennet,
Sir Thomas Ingram, Sir John Lawson, Povy and I. Where, after other
business, Povy did declare his business very handsomely; that he was
sorry he had been so unhappy in his accounts, as not to give their
Lordships the satisfaction he intended, and that he was sure his
accounts are right, and continues to submit them to examination, and is
ready to lay down in ready money the fault of his account; and that for
the future, that the work might be better done and with more quiet to
him, he desired, by approbation of the Duke, he might resign his
place to Mr. Pepys. Whereupon, Secretary Bennet did deliver the Duke's
command, which was received with great content and allowance beyond
expectation; the Secretary repeating also the Duke's character of me.
And I could discern my Lord FitzHarding was well pleased with me, and
signified full satisfaction, and whispered something seriously of me to
the Secretary. And there I received their constitution under all their
hands presently; so that I am already confirmed their Treasurer, and put
into a condition of striking of tallys;

[The practice of striking tallies at the Exchequer was a curious
survival of an ancient method of keeping accounts. The method
adopted is described in Hubert Hall's "Antiquities and Curiosities
of the Exchequer," 1891. Th