e following account of the use of
tallies, so frequently alluded to in the Diary, was supplied by Lord
Braybrooke. Formerly accounts were kept, and large sums of money
paid and received, by the King's Exchequer, with little other form
than the exchange or delivery of tallies, pieces of wood notched or
scored, corresponding blocks being kept by the parties to the
account; and from this usage one of the head officers of the
Exchequer was called the tallier, or teller. These tallies were
often negotiable; Adam Smith, in his "Wealth of Nations," book ii.,
ch. xi., says that "in 1696 tallies had been at forty, and fifty,
and sixty per cent. discount, and bank-notes at twenty per cent."
The system of tallies was discontinued in 1824; and the destruction
of the old Houses of Parliament, in the night of October 16th, 1834,
is thought to have been occasioned by the overheating of the flues,
when the furnaces were employed to consume the tallies rendered
useless by the alteration in the mode of keeping the Exchequer
accounts.]

and all without one harsh word or word of dislike, but quite the
contrary; which is a good fortune beyond all imagination. Here we
rose, and Povy and Creed and I, all full of joy, thence to dinner, they
setting me down at Sir J. Winter's, by promise, and dined with him; and
a worthy fine man he seems to be, and of good discourse, our business
was to discourse of supplying the King with iron for anchors, if it can
be judged good enough, and a fine thing it is to see myself come to
the condition of being received by persons of this rank, he being, and
having long been, Secretary to the Queene-Mother. Thence to Povy's, and
there sat and considered of business a little and then home, where late
at it, W. Howe being with me about his business of accounts for his
money laid out in the fleet, and he gone, I home to supper and to bed.
Newes is this day come of Captain Allen's being come home from the
Straights, as far as Portland, with eleven of the King's ships, and
about twenty-two of merchantmen.

21st. Up, and my taylor coming to me, did consult all my wardrobe how to
order my clothes against next summer. Then to the office, where busy all
the morning. At noon to the 'Change, and brought home Mr. Andrews, and
there with Mr. Sheply dined and very merry, and a good dinner. Thence to
Mr. Povy's to discourse about settling our busin