manner of
walking, when three together, and shewed me how, which was pretty, to
prevent differences. By and by comes the King and Duke of York, and
presently the officers of the Ordnance were called; my Lord Berkeley, Sir
John Duncomb, and Mr. Chichly; then we, my Lord Bruncker, [Sir] W. Batten,
[Sir] W. Pen, and myself; where we find only the King and Duke of York,
and my Lord Treasurer, and Sir G. Carteret; where I only did speak, laying
down the state of our wants, which the King and Duke of York seemed very
well pleased with, and we did get what we asked, L500,000, assigned upon
the eleven months' tax: but that is not so much ready money, or what will
raise L40,000 per week, which we desired, and the business will want. Yet
are we fain to come away answered, when, God knows, it will undo the
King's business to have matters of this moment put off in this manner.
The King did prevent my offering anything by and by as Treasurer for
Tangier, telling me that he had ordered us L30,000 on the same tax; but
that is not what we would have to bring our payments to come within a
year. So we gone out, in went others; viz., one after another, Sir
Stephen Fox for the army, Captain Cocke for sick and wounded, Mr.
Ashburnham for the household. Thence [Sir] W. Batten, [Sir] W. Pen, and
I, back again; I mightily pleased with what I had said and done, and the
success thereof. But, it being a fine clear day, I did, 'en gayete de
coeur', propose going to Bow for ayre sake, and dine there, which they
embraced, and so [Sir] W. Batten and I (setting [Sir] W. Pen down at Mark
Lane end) straight to Bow, to the Queen's Head, and there bespoke our
dinner, carrying meat with us from London; and anon comes [Sir] W. Pen
with my wife and Lady Batten, and then Mr. Lowder with his mother and
wife. While [Sir] W. Batten and I were alone, we had much friendly
discourse, though I will never trust him far; but we do propose getting
"The Flying Greyhound," our privateer, to us and [Sir] W. Pen at the end
of the year when we call her home, by begging her of the King, and I do
not think we shall be denied her. They being come, we to oysters and so
to talk, very pleasant I was all day, and anon to dinner, and I made very
good company. Here till the evening, so as it was dark almost before we
got home (back again in the same method, I think, we went), and spent the
night talking at Sir W. Batten's, only a little at my office, to look over
the Victuall