on the Act
and returned into the Exchequer so timely as it ought to be. But it comes
into my mind here to observe what I have heard from Sir John Bankes,
though I cannot fully conceive the reason of it, that it will be
impossible to make the Exchequer ever a true bank to all intents, unless
the Exchequer stood nearer the Exchange, where merchants might with ease,
while they are going about their business, at all hours, and without
trouble or loss of time, have their satisfaction, which they cannot have
now without much trouble, and loss of half a day, and no certainty of
having the offices open. By this he means a bank for common practise and
use of merchants, and therein I do agree with him. Being parted from Sir
W. Pen and [Sir] G. Downing, I to Westminster Hall and there met Balty,
whom I had sent for, and there did break the business of my getting him
the place of going again as Muster-Master with Harman this voyage to the
West Indys, which indeed I do owe to Sir W. Pen. He is mighty glad of it,
and earnest to fit himself for it, but I do find, poor man, that he is
troubled how to dispose of his wife, and apparently it is out of fear of
her, and his honour, and I believe he hath received some cause of this his
jealousy and care, and I do pity him in it, and will endeavour to find out
some way to do, it for him. Having put him in a way of preparing himself
for the voyage, I did go to the Swan, and there sent for Jervas, my old
periwig maker, and he did bring me a periwig, but it was full of nits, so
as I was troubled to see it (it being his old fault), and did send him to
make it clean, and in the mean time, having staid for him a good while,
did go away by water to the Castle Taverne, by Exeter House, and there met
Sir W. Batten, [Sir] W. Pen, and several others, among the rest Sir Ellis
Layton, who do apply himself to discourse with me, and I think by his
discourse, out of his opinion of my interest in Sir W. Coventry, the man I
find a wonderful witty, ready man for sudden answers and little tales, and
sayings very extraordinary witty, but in the bottom I doubt he is not so.
Yet he pretends to have studied men, and the truth is in several that I do
know he did give me a very inward account of them. But above all things
he did give me a full account, upon my demand, of this judge of the
Admiralty, Judge Jenkins; who, he says, is a man never practised in this
Court, but taken merely for his merit and ability's sak