d　for　and　speaks　openly　to　me　his　thoughts　of　the　times；　and　our　ruin　approaching；　and　all　by　the　folly　of　the　King。　　His　business　to　me　was　about　some　ground　of　his　at　Deptford；　next　to　the　King's　yard：　　and　after　dinner　we　parted。　　To　Woolwich；　where　I　saw；　but　did　not　go　on　board；　my　ship　〃The　Jerzy；〃　she　lying　at　the　wharf　under　repair。　　But　my　business　was　to　speak　with　Ackworth　about　some　old　things　and　passages　in　the　Navy；　for　my　information　therein；　in　order　to　my　great　business　now　of　stating　the　history　of　the　Navy。　　This　I　did；　and　upon　the　whole　do　find　that　the　late　times；　in　all　their　management；　were　not　more　husbandly　than　we；　and　other　things　of　good　content　to　me。　　Thence　to　Greenwich　by　water；　and　there　landed　at　the　King's　house；　which　goes　on　slow；　but　is　very　pretty。　　I　to　the　Park；　there　to　see　the　prospect　of　the　hill；　to　judge　of　Dancre's　picture　which　he　hath　made　thereof　for　me；　and　I　do　like　it　very　well：　　and　it　is　a　very　pretty　place。　　Thence　to　Deptford；　but　staid　not；　Unthwayte　being　out　of　the　way。　　And　so　home；　and　then　to　the　King's　Tavern　（Morrice's）　and　staid　till　W。　Hewer　fetched　his　uncle　Blackburn　by　appointment　to　me；　to　discourse　of　the　business　of　the　Navy　in　the　late　times；　and　he　did　do　it　by　giving　me　a　most　exact　account　in　writing　of　the　several　turns　in　the　Admiralty　and　Navy　of　the　persons　employed　therein；　from　the　beginning　of　the　King's　leaving　the　Parliament　to　his　son's　coming　in；　to　my　great　content；　and　now　I　am　fully　informed　in　all　I　at　present　desire。　We　fell　to　other　talk；　and　I　find　by　him　that　the　Bishops　must　certainly　fall；　and　their　hierarchy；　these　people　have　got　so　much　ground　upon　the　King　and　kingdom　as　is　not　to　be　got　again　from　them：　　and　the　Bishops　do　well　deserve　it。　　But　it　is　all　the　talk；　I　find；　that　Dr。　Wilkins；　my　friend；　Bishop　of　Chester；　shall　be　removed　to　Winchester　and　be　Lord　Treasurer。　　Though　this　be　foolish　talk；　yet　I　do　gather　that　he　is　a　mighty　rising　man；　as　being　a　Latitudinarian；　and　the　Duke　of　Buckingham　his　great　friend。
  18th。　　Up；　and　to　see　Sir　W。　Coventry；　and　walked　with　him　a　good　while　in　the　stone…walk：　　and　brave　discourse　about　my　Lord　Chancellor　and　his　ill　managements　and　mistakes；　and　several　things　of　the　Navy。
  19th。　　Sir　Thomas　Clifford　did　speak　to　me；　as　desirous　that　I　would　some　time　come　and　confer　with　him　about　the　Navy；　which　I　am　glad　of；　but　will　take　the　direction　of　the　Duke　of　York　before　I　do　it；　though　I　would　be　glad　to　do　something　to　secure　myself；　if　I　could；　in　my　employment。　　Thence　to　the　plaisterer's；　and　took　my　face　and　my　Lord　Duke　of　Albemarle's　home　with　me　by　coach；　they　being　done　to　my　mind；　and　mighty　glad　I　am　of　understanding　this　way　of　having　the　pictures　of　any　friends。　　After　dinner　with　Commissioner　Middleton　and　Kempthorne　to　a　Court…martiall；　to　which；　by　virtue　of　my　late　captainship；　I　am　called；　the　first　I　was　ever　at；　where　many　commanders；　and　Kempthorne　president。　　Here　was　tried　a　difference　between　Sir　L。　Van　Hemskirke；　the　Dutch　captain　who　commands　〃The　Nonsuch；〃　built　by　his　direction；　and　his　lieutenant；　a　drunken　kind　of　silly　business。　　We　ordered　the　lieutenant　to　ask　him　pardon；　and　have　resolved　to　lay　before　the　Duke　of　York　what　concerns　the　captain；　which　was　striking　of　his　lieutenant　and　challenging　him　to　fight；　which　comes　not　within　any　article　of　the　laws　martiall。　　But　upon　discourse　the　other　day　with　Sir　W。　Coventry　I　did　advise　Middleton；　and　he　and　I　did　forbear　to　give　judgment；　but　after　the　debate　did　withdraw　into　another　cabin；　（the　Court　being　held　in　one　of　the　yachts；　which　was　on　purpose　brought　up　over　against　St。　Katherine's）　it　being　to　be　feared　that　this　precedent　of　our　being　made　captains　in　order　to　the　trying　of　the　loss　of　〃The　Defyance；〃　wherein　we　are　the　proper　persons　to　enquire　into　the　want　of　instructions　while　ships　do　lie　in　harbour；　might　be　hereafter　made　of　evil　use；　by　putting　the　Duke　of　Buckingham；　or　any　of　these　rude　fellows　that　now　are　uppermost；　to　make　packed　Courts　by　captains　made　on　purpose　to　serve　their　turns。　　The　other　cause　was　of　the　loss　of　the　Providence　at　Tangier；　where　the　captain's　being　by　chance　on　shore　may　prove　very　inconvenient　to　him；　for　example's　sake；　though　the　man　be　a　good　man；　and　one　whom　for　Norwood's　sake　I　would　be　kind　to；　but　I　will　not　offer　any　thing　to　the　excusing　such　a　miscarriage。　　He　is　at　present　confined　till　he　can　bring　better　proofs　on　his　behalf　of　the　reasons　of　his　being　on　shore。　So　Middleton　and　I　away　to　the　office；　and　there　I　late　busy；　making　my　people；　as　I　have　done　lately；　to　read　Mr。　Holland's　Discourse　of　the　Navy；　and　what　other　things　I　can　get　to　inform　me　fully　in　all。　　And　here　late；　about　eight　at　night；　comes　Mr。　Wren　to　me；　who　had　been　at　the　Tower　to　visit　Sir　W。　Coventry。　He　came　only　to　see　how　matters　go；　and　tells　me　as　a　secret；　that　the　last　night　the　Duke　of　York's　closet　was　broken　open；　and　his　cabinets；　and　shut　again　one　of　them；　that　the　rogue　that　did　it　hath　left　plate　and　a　watch　behind　him；　and　therefore　they　fear　that　it　was　only　for　papers；　which　looks　like　a　very　malicious　business　in　design　to　hurt　the　Duke　of　York；　but　they　cannot　know　that　till　the　Duke　of　York　comes　to　town　about　the　papers；　and　therefore　make　no　words　of　it。　　He　gone；　I　to　work　again；　and　then　to　supper　home；　and　to　bed。
  20th。　　Up；　and　to　the　Tower　to　Sir　W。　Coventry；　and　there　walked　with　him　alone　on　the　stone…walk　till　company　came　to　him；　and　there　about　the　business　of　the　Navy　discoursed　with　him；　and　about　my　Lord　Chancellor　and　Treasurer；　that　they　were　against　the　war　at　first；　declaring；　as　wise　men　and　statesmen；　at　first　to　the　King；　that　they　thought　it　fit　to　have　a　war　with　them　at　some　time　or　other；　but　that　it　ought　not　to　be　till　we　found　the　Crowns　of　Spain　and　France　together　by　the　eares；　the　want　of　which　did　ruin　our　war。　　But　then　he　told　me　that　a　great　while　before　the　war　my　Lord　Chancellor　did　speak　of　a　war　with　some　heat　as　a　thing　to　be　desired；　and　did　it　upon　a　belief　that　he　could　with　his　own　speeches　make　the　Parliament　give　what　money　he　pleased；　and　do　what　he　would；　or　would　make　the　King　desire；　but　he　found　himself　soon　deceived　of　the　Parliament；　they　having　a　long　time　before　his　removal　been　cloyed　with　his　speeches　and　good　words；　and　being　come　to　hate　him。　　Sir　W。　Coventry　did　tell　me　it　as　the　wisest　thing　that　ever　was　said　to　the　King　by　any　statesman　of　his　time；　and　it　was　by　my　Lord　Treasurer　that　is　dead；　whom；　I　find；　he　takes　for　a　very　great　statesman；that　when　the　King　did　show　himself　forward　for　passing　the　Act　of　Indemnity；　he　did　advise　the　King　that　he　would　hold　his　hand　in　doing　it　till　he　had　got　his　power　restored　that　had　been　diminished　by　the　late　times；　and　his　revenue　settled　in　such　a　manner　as　he　might　depend　on　himself　without　resting　upon　Parliaments；　and　then　pass　it。　　But　my　Lord　Chancellor；　who　thought　he　could　have　the　command　of　Parliaments　for　ever；　because　for　the　King's　sake　they　were　awhile　willing　to　grant　all　the　King　desired；　did　press　for　its　being　done；　and　so　it　was；　and　the　King　from　that　time　able　to　do　nothing　with　the　Parliament　almost。　　Mightily　pleased　with　the　news　brought　me　to…　night；　that　the　King　and　Duke　of　York　are　come　back　this　afternoon；　and　no　sooner　come　but　a　warrant　was　sent　to　the　Tower　for　the　releasing　Sir　W。　Coventry：　　which　do　put　me　in　some　hopes　that　there　may　be　in　this　absence　some　accommodation　made　between　the　Duke　of　York　and　the　Duke　of　Buckingham　and　Lord　Arlington。
  21st。　　To　White　Hall；　in　a　scull；　where　to　the　Duke　of　York's　dressing…room；　and　there　met　Harry　Saville；　and　do　understand　that　Sir　W。　Coventry　is　come　to　his　house　last　night。　　I　understand　by　Mr。　Wren　that　his　friends　having　by　Secretary　Trevor　and　my　Lord　Keeper　applied　to　the　King　upon　his　first　coming　home；　and　a　promise　made　that　he　should　be　discharged　this　day；　my　Lord　Arlington　did　anticipate　them　by　sending　a　warrant　presently　for　his　discharge；　which　looks　a　little　like　kindness；　or　a　desire　of　it；　which　God　send！　　though　I　fear　the　contrary。　However；　my　heart　is　glad　that　he　is　out。　　Thence　up　and　down　the　House。　　Met　Mr。　May；　who　tells　me　the　story　of　his　being　put　by　Sir　John　Denham's　place　（of　Surveyor　of　the　King's　Works；　who；　it　seems；　is　lately　dead）　by　the　unkindness　of　the　Duke　of　Buckingham；　who　hath　brought　in　Dr。　Wren。　　Though；　he　tells　me；　he　hath　been　his　servant　for　twenty　years　together　in　all　his　wants　and　dangers；　saving　him　from　want　of　bread　by　his　care　and　management；　and　with　a　promise　of　having　his　help　in　his　advancement；　and　an　engagement　under　his　hand　for　1000l。　not　yet　paid；　and　yet　the　Duke　of　Buckingham　is　so　ungrateful　as　to　put　him　by：　　which　is　an　ill　thing　though　Dr。　Wren　is　a　worthy　man。　But　he　tells　me　that　the　King　is　kind　to　him；　and　hath　promised　him　a　pension　of　300l。　a　year　out　of　the　Works；　which　will　be　of　more　content　to　him　than　the　place；　which　under　their　present　wants　of　money　is　a　place　that　disobliges　most　people；　being　not　able　to　do　what　they　desire　to　their　lodgings。　　Here　meeting　with　Sir　R。　Cholmly　and　Povy；　they　tell　me　that　my　Lord　Middleton　is　resolved　in　the　caball　that　he　shall　not　g