g mighty pleasant weather, I back to Sir G. Carteret's, and there he
had newly dined, and talked, and find that he do give every thing over for
lost, declaring no money to be raised, and let Sir W. Coventry name the
man that persuaded the King to take the Land Tax on promise, of raising
present money upon it. He will, he says, be able to clear himself enough
of it. I made him merry, with telling him how many land-admirals we are
to have this year: Allen at Plymouth, Holmes at Portsmouth, Spragge for
Medway, Teddiman at Dover, Smith to the Northward, and Harman to the
Southward. He did defend to me Sir W. Coventry as not guilty of the
dividing of the fleete the last year, and blesses God, as I do, for my
Lord Sandwich's absence, and tells me how the King did lately observe to
him how they have been particularly punished that were enemies to my Lord
Sandwich. Mightily pleased I am with his family, and my Lady Carteret was
on the bed to-day, having been let blood, and tells me of my Lady
Jemimah's being big-bellied. Thence with him to my Lord Treasurer's, and
there walked during Council sitting with Sir Stephen Fox, talking of the
sad condition of the King's purse, and affairs thereby; and how sad the
King's life must be, to pass by his officers every hour, that are four
years behind-hand unpaid. My Lord Barkeley [of Stratton] I met with
there, and fell into talk with him on the same thing, wishing to God that
it might be remedied, to which he answered, with an oath, that it was as
easy to remedy it as anything in the world; saying, that there is himself
and three more would venture their carcasses upon it to pay all the King's
debts in three years, had they the managing his revenue, and putting
L300,000 in his purse, as a stock. But, Lord! what a thing is this to
me, that do know how likely a man my Lord Barkeley of all the world is, to
do such a thing as this. Here I spoke with Sir W. Coventry, who tells me
plainly that to all future complaints of lack of money he will answer but
with the shrug of his shoulder; which methought did come to my heart, to
see him to begin to abandon the King's affairs, and let them sink or swim,
so he do his owne part, which I confess I believe he do beyond any officer
the King hath, but unless he do endeavour to make others do theirs,
nothing will be done. The consideration here do make me go away very sad,
and so home by coach, and there took up my wife and Mercer, who had been
to-d