28th To White Hall, where Sir J Minnes and I did spend an hour in the Gallery, looking upon the pictures, in which he hath some judgement And by and by the Commissioners for Tangier met and there my Lord Teviott, together with Captain Cuttance, Captain Evans, and Jonas Moore, sent to that purpose, did bring us a brave draught of the Mole to be built there, and report that it is likely to be the most considerable place the King of England hath in the world, and so I am apt to think it will After discourse of this, and of supplying the garrison with some more horse, we rose, and Sir J Minnes and I home again, finding the street about our house full, Sir R Ford beginning his shrievalty to-day and, what with his and our houses being new painted, the street begins to look a great deal better than it did, and more gracefull News that the King comes to town for certain on Thursday next from his great progress.

30th In the afternoon by water to White Hall, to the Tangier Committee, where my Lord Teviott, which grieves me to see that his accounts being to be examined by us, there are none of the great men at the Board that in compliment will except against any thing in them, and so none of the little persons dare do it so the King is abused.

October 5th My Lord Sandwich sent a messenger to know whether the King intends to come to Newmarket, as is talked, that he may be ready to entertain him at Hinchingbroke.

12th At St James’s we attended the Duke all of us And there, after my discourse, Mr Coventry of his own accord begun to tell the Duke how he found that discourse abroad did run to his prejudice about the fees that he took, and how he sold places and other things wherein he desired to appeal to his Highness, whether he did any thing more than what his predecessors did, and appealed to us all So Sir G Carteret did answer that some fees were heretofore taken, but what he knows not, only that selling of places never was nor ought to be countenanced So Mr Coventry very hotly answered to Sir G Carteret, and appealed to himself whether he was not one of the first that put him upon looking after this business of fees, and that he told him that Mr Smith should say that he made £5000 the first year, and he believed he made £7000 This Sir G Carteret denied, and said, that if he did say so he told a he, for he could not, nor did know, that ever he did make that profit of his place, but that he believes he might say, £2500 the first year Mr Coventry instanced in another thing particularly wherein Sir G Carteret did advise with him about the selling of the Auditor’s place of the stores, when in the beginning there was an intention of creating such an office This he confessed, but with some lessening of the tale Mr Coventry told, it being only for a respect to my Lord FitzHarding⁸⁰ In fine Mr Coventry did put into the Duke’s hand a list of above 250 places that he did give without receiving one farthing, so much as his ordinary fees for them upon his life and oath, and that since the Duke’s establishment of fees he had never received one token more of any man, and that in his whole life he never conditioned or discoursed of any consideration from any commanders since he come to the Navy And afterwards, my Lord Barkeley merrily discoursing that he wished his profit greater than it was, and that he did believe that he had got £50,000 since he come in, Mr Coventry did openly declare that his Lordship, or any of us, should have not only all he had got, but all that he had in the world, (and yet he did not come a beggar into the Navy, nor would yet be thought to speak in any contempt of his Royall Highness s bounty,) and should have a year to consider of it too, for £25,000 The Duke’s answer was, that he wished we all had made more profit than we had of our places, and that we had all of us got as much as one man below stayres in the Court, which he presently named, and it was Sir George Lane⁸¹

13th I find at Court, that either the King is doubtful of some disturbance, or else would seem so, (and I have reason to hope it is no worse,) by his commanding little commanders of castles, &c to repair to their charges, and mustering the Guards the other day himself, where he found reason to dislike their condition to my Lord Gerard, finding so many absent men, or dead pays My Lady Castlemaine, I hear, is in as great favour as ever, and the King supped with her the very first night he come from Bath and last night and the night before supped with her, when there being a chine of beef to roast, and the tide rising into their kitchen that it could not be roasted there, and the cook telling her of it she answered ‘Zounds she must set the house on fire but it should be roasted’ So it was carried to Mrs Sarah’s husband’s, and there it was roasted.