g out of the way all this time. He concurs that we are in
a way of ruin by thus being forced to keep only small squadrons out, but
do tell me that it was not choice, but only force, that we could not keep
out the whole fleete. He tells me that the King is very kind to my Lord
Sandwich, and did himself observe to him (Sir G. Carteret), how those very
people, meaning the Prince and Duke of Albemarle, are punished in the same
kind as they did seek to abuse my Lord Sandwich. Thence away, and got a
hackney coach and carried my wife home, and there only drank, and myself
back again to my Lord Treasurer's, where the King, Duke of York, and Sir
G. Carteret and Lord Arlington were and none else, so I staid not, but to
White Hall, and there meeting nobody I would speak with, walked into the
Park and took two or three turns all alone, and then took coach and home,
where I find Mercer, who I was glad to see, but durst [not] shew so, my
wife being displeased with her, and indeed I fear she is grown a very
gossip. I to my chamber, and there fitted my arguments which I had
promised Mr. Gawden in his behalf in some pretences to allowance of the
King, and then to supper, and so to my chamber a little again, and then to
bed. Duke of Buckingham not heard of yet.

18th. Up betimes, and to the office to write fair my paper for D. Gawden
against anon, and then to other business, where all the morning. D. Gawden
by and by comes, and I did read over and give him the paper, which I think
I have much obliged him in. A little before noon comes my old good
friend, Mr. Richard Cumberland,--[Richard Cumberland, afterwards Bishop of
Peterborough]--to see me, being newly come to town, whom I have not seen
almost, if not quite, these seven years. In his plain country-parson's
dress. I could not spend much time with him, but prayed him come with his
brother, who was with him, to dine with me to-day; which he did do and I
had a great deal of his good company; and a most excellent person he is as
any I know, and one that I am sorry should be lost and buried in a little
country town, and would be glad to remove him thence; and the truth is, if
he would accept of my sister's fortune, I should give L100 more with him
than to a man able to settle her four times as much as, I fear, he is able
to do; and I will think of it, and a way how to move it, he having in
discourse said he was not against marrying, nor yet engaged. I shewed him
my closet, and did