with him, that he had given himself up to
more ease than ever he expected, and that his opinion of matters was so
bad, that there was no publick employment in the kingdom should have been
accepted by him but this which the King hath now given him; and therein he
is glad, in hopes of the service he may do therein; and in my conscience
he will. So into the Duke of York's closet; and there, among other
things, Sir W. Coventry did take notice of what he told me the other day,
about a report of Commissioner Pett's dealing for timber in the Navy, and
selling it to us in other names; and, besides his own proof, did produce a
paper I had given him this morning about it, in the case of Widow Murford
and Morecocke, which was so handled, that the Duke of York grew very
angry, and commanded us presently to fall into the examination of it,
saying that he would not trust a man for his sake that lifts up the whites
of his eyes. And it was declared that if he be found to have done so, he
should be reckoned unfit to serve the Navy; and I do believe he will be
turned out; and it was, methought, a worthy saying of Sir W. Coventry to
the Duke of York, "Sir," says he, "I do not make this complaint out of
any disrespect to Commissioner Pett, but because I do love to do these
things fairly and openly." Thence I to Westminster Hall with Sir G.
Carteret to the Chequer Chamber to hear our cause of the Lindeboome prize
there before the Lords of Appeal, where was Lord Ashly, Arlington,
Barkely, and Sir G. Carteret, but the latter three signified nothing, the
former only either minding or understanding what was said. Here was good
pleading of Sir Walter Walker's and worth hearing, but little done in our
business. Thence by coach to the Red Lyon, thinking to meet my father, but
I come too soon, but my wife is gone out of town to meet him. I am in
great pain, poor man, for him, lest he should come up in pain to town. So
I staid not, but to the 'Change, and there staid a little, where most of
the newes is that the Swedes are likely to fall out with the Dutch, which
we wish, but how true I know not. Here I met my uncle Wight, the second
day he hath been abroad, having been sick these two months even to death,
but having never sent to me even in the greatest of his danger. I do
think my Aunt had no mind I should come, and so I never went to see him,
but neither he took notice of it to me, nor I made any excuse for it to
him, but past two or three H