ne; if he were away, it being more easy to attempt anything upon
the King; but how the fleete will be governed without him, the
Prince--[Rupert]--being a man of no government and severe in council,
that no ordinary man can offer any advice against his; saying truly that
it had been better he had gone to Guinny, and that were he away, it were
easy to say how matters might be ordered, my Lord Sandwich being a man
of temper and judgment as much as any man he ever knew, and that upon
good observation he said this, and that his temper must correct the
Prince's. But I perceive he is much troubled what will be the event of
the question. And so I left him.

26th. Up and to White Hall with Sir J. Minnes, and to the Committee of
Tangier, where my Lord Treasurer was, the first and only time he ever
was there, and did promise us L15,000 for Tangier and no more, which
will be short. But if I can pay Mr. Andrews all his money I care for no
more, and the bills of Exchange. Thence with Mr. Povy and Creed below to
a new chamber of Mr. Povy's, very pretty, and there discourse about his
business, not to his content, but with the most advantage I could to
him, and Creed also did the like. Thence with Creed to the King's Head,
and there dined with him at the ordinary, and good sport with one Mr.
Nicholls, a prating coxcombe, that would be thought a poet, but would
not be got to repeat any of his verses. Thence I home, and there find
my wife's brother and his wife, a pretty little modest woman, where they
dined with my wife. He did come to desire my assistance for a living,
and, upon his good promises of care, and that it should be no burden to
me, I did say and promise I would think of finding something for him,
and the rather because his wife seems a pretty discreet young thing, and
humble, and he, above all things, desirous to do something to maintain
her, telling me sad stories of what she endured with him in Holland, and
I hope it will not be burdensome. So down by water to Woolwich, walking
to and again from Greenwich thither and back again, my business being to
speak again with Sheldon, who desires and expects my wife coming thither
to spend the summer, and upon second thoughts I do agree that it will
be a good place for her and me too. So, weary, home, and to my office
a while, till almost midnight, and so to bed. The plague encreases
mightily, I this day seeing a house, at a bitt-maker's over against St.
Clement's Church, in the open