me money in having my wife
go abroad on visits and other delights; so that I hope the best, but am
resolved to alter it, if matters prove otherwise than I would have them.
Publique matters in an ill condition of discontent against the height
and vanity of the Court, and their bad payments: but that which troubles
most, is the Clergy, which will never content the City, which is not to
be reconciled to Bishopps: the more the pity that differences must still
be. Dunkirk newly sold, and the money brought over; of which we hope to
get some to pay the Navy: which by Sir J. Lawson's having dispatched the
business in the Straights, by making peace with Argier,--[The ancient
name for Algiers.]--Tunis, and Tripoli (and so his fleet will also
shortly come home), will now every day grow less, and so the King's
charge be abated; which God send!

DECEMBER 1662

December 1st. Up and by coach with Sir John Minnes and Sir W. Batten to
White Hall to the Duke's chamber, where, as is usual, my Lord Sandwich
and all of us, after his being ready, to his closett, and there
discoursed of matters of the Navy, and here Mr. Coventry did do me
the great kindness to take notice to the Duke of my pains in making a
collection of all contracts about masts, which have been of great use to
us. Thence I to my Lord Sandwich's, to Mr. Moore, to talk a little about
business; and then over the Parke (where I first in my life, it being a
great frost, did see people sliding with their skeates,

[Iron skates appear to have been introduced by the Dutch, as the
name certainly was; but we learn from Fitzstephen that bone skates
(although not so called) were used in London in the twelfth
century.]

which is a very pretty art), to Mr. Coventry's chamber to St. James's,
where we all met to a venison pasty, and were very merry, Major Norwood
being with us, whom they did play upon for his surrendering of Dunkirk.
Here we staid till three or four o'clock; and so to the Council Chamber,
where there met the Duke of York, Prince Rupert, Duke of Albemarle, my
Lord Sandwich, Sir Win. Compton, Mr. Coventry, Sir J. Minnes, Sir R.
Ford, Sir W. Rider, myself, and Captain Cuttance, as Commissioners for
Tangier. And after our Commission was read by Mr. Creed, who I perceive
is to be our Secretary, we did fall to discourse of matters: as, first,
the supplying them forthwith with victualls; then the reducing it to
make way for the money, which upon the