on he became private secretary
to the Duke of York, his commission as Secretary to the Lord High
Admiral not being conferred until 1664; elected M.P. for Great
Yarmouth in 1661. In 1662 he was appointed an extra Commissioner of
the Navy, an office he held until 1667; in 1665, knighted and sworn
a Privy Councillor, and, in 1667, constituted a Commissioner of the
Treasury; but, having been forbid the court on account of his
challenging the Duke of Buckingham, he retired into the country, nor
could he subsequently be prevailed upon to accept of any official
employment. Burnet calls Sir William Coventry the best speaker in
the House of Commons, and "a man of the finest and best temper that
belonged to the court," and Pepys never omits an opportunity of
paying a tribute to his public and private worth. He died, 1686, of
gout in the stomach.]

and I, spent an hour at allotting to every ship their service, in their
return to England; which having done, they went to dinner, where the
table was very full: the two Dukes at the upper end, my Lord Opdam next
on one side, and my Lord on the other. Two guns given to every man while
he was drinking the King's health, and so likewise to the Duke's health.
I took down Monsieur d'Esquier to the great cabin below, and dined with
him in state alone with only one or two friends of his. All dinner the
harper belonging to Captain Sparling played to the Dukes. After dinner,
the Dukes and my Lord to see the Vice and Rear-Admirals; and I in a boat
after them. After that done, they made to the shore in the Dutch boat
that brought them, and I got into the boat with them; but the shore was
so full of people to expect their coming, as that it was as black (which
otherwise is white sand), as every one could stand by another. When we
came near the shore, my Lord left them and came into his own boat, and
General Pen and I with him; my Lord being very well pleased with this
day's work. By the time we came on board again, news is sent us that the
King is on shore; so my Lord fired all his guns round twice, and all the
fleet after him, which in the end fell into disorder, which seemed very
handsome. The gun over against my cabin I fired myself to the King,
which was the first time that he had been saluted by his own ships since
this change; but holding my head too much over the gun, I had almost
spoiled my right eye. Nothing in the world b