the order from the King, came last night to the Duke of York, for
signifying his pleasure to the Sollicitor-General for drawing up a
Commission for suspending of my Lord Anglesey, and putting in Sir
Thomas. Littleton and Sir Thomas Osborne, the former a creature of
Arlington's, and the latter of the Duke of Buckingham's, during the
suspension. The Duke of York was forced to obey, and did grant it, he
being to go to Newmarket this day with the King, and so the King pressed
for it. But Mr. Wren do own that the Duke of York is the most wounded
in this, in the world, for it is done and concluded without his privity,
after his appearing for Lord Anglesey, and that it is plain that they do
ayme to bring the Admiralty into Commission too, and lessen the Duke of
York. This do put strange apprehensions into all our Board; only I think
I am the least troubled at it, for I care not at all for it: but my Lord
Brouncker and Pen do seem to think much of it. So home to dinner,
full of this news, and after dinner to the office, and so home all the
afternoon to do business towards my drawing up an account for the Duke
of York of the answers of this office to his late great letter, and late
at it, and so to bed, with great peace from my wife and quiet, I bless
God.

30th. Up betimes; and Mr. Povy comes to even accounts with me, which we
did, and then fell to other talk. He tells, in short, how the King is
made a child of, by Buckingham and Arlington, to the lessening of the
Duke of York, whom they cannot suffer to be great, for fear of my
Lord Chancellor's return, which, therefore, they make the King violent
against. That he believes it is impossible these two great men can
hold together long: or, at least, that the ambition of the former is so
great, that he will endeavour to master all, and bring into play as
many as he can. That Anglesey will not lose his place easily, but will
contend in law with whoever comes to execute it. That the Duke of York,
in all things but in his cod-piece, is led by the nose by his wife. That
W. Coventry is now, by the Duke of York, made friends with the Duchess;
and that he is often there, and waits on her. That he do believe that
these present great men will break in time, and that W. Coventry will be
a great man again; for he do labour to have nothing to do in matters
of the State, and is so usefull to the side that he is on, that he
will stand, though at present he is quite out of play. That my Lady
Ca