refuse it, than to let her accept of it. And so I am well pleased
with her returning it him. It is generally believed that France is
endeavouring a firmer league with us than the former, in order to his
going on with his business against Spayne the next year; which I am, and
so everybody else is, I think, very glad of, for all our fear is, of
his invading us. This day, at White Hall, I overheard Sir W. Coventry
propose to the King his ordering of some particular thing in the
Wardrobe, which was of no great value; but yet, as much as it was, it
was of profit to the King and saving to his purse. The King answered
to it with great indifferency, as a thing that it was no great matter
whether it was done or no. Sir W. Coventry answered: "I see your Majesty
do not remember the old English proverb, 'He that will not stoop for a
pin, will never be worth a pound.'" And so they parted, the King bidding
him do as he would; which, methought, was an answer not like a King that
did intend ever to do well.

3rd. At the office all the morning with Mr. Willson and my clerks,
consulting again about a new contract with the Victualler of the Navy,
and at noon home to dinner, and then to the office again, where busy
all the afternoon preparing something for the Council about Tangier this
evening. So about five o'clock away with it to the Council, and there do
find that the Council hath altered its times of sitting to the mornings,
and so I lost my labour, and back again by coach presently round by the
city wall, it being dark, and so home, and there to the office, where
till midnight with Mr. Willson and my people to go through with the
Victualler's contract and the considerations about the new one, and so
home to supper and to bed, thinking my time very well spent.

4th. Up, and there to the office, where we sat all the morning; at noon
home to dinner, where my clerks and Mr. Clerke the sollicitor with me,
and dinner being done I to the office again, where all the afternoon
till late busy, and then home with my mind pleased at the pleasure of
despatching my business, and so to supper and to bed, my thoughts full,
how to order our design of having some dancing at our house on Monday
next, being Twelfth-day. It seems worth remembering that this day I did
hear my Lord Anglesey at the table, speaking touching this new Act
for Accounts, say that the House of Lords did pass it because it was a
senseless, impracticable, ineffectual, and foolish