and there met him coming
out, and followed him home, and there sent my wife to Unthanke's while
I spent on hour with him reading over first my draught of the
Administration of the Navy, which he do like very well; and so fell
to talk of other things, and among the rest of the story of his
late disgrace, and how basely and in what a mean manner the Duke of
Buckingham hath proceeded against him--not like a man of honour. He
tells me that the King will not give other answer about his coming to
kiss his hands, than "Not yet." But he says that this that he desires,
of kissing the King's hand, is only to show to the world that he is not
discontented, and not in any desire to come again into play, though I do
perceive that he speaks this with less earnestness than heretofore:
and this, it may be, is, from what he told me lately, that the King is
offended at what is talked, that he hath declared himself desirous
not to have to do with any employment more. But he do tell me that the
leisure he hath yet had do not at all begin to be burdensome to him, he
knowing how to spend his time with content to himself; and that he hopes
shortly to contract his expence, so as that he shall not be under
any straits in that respect neither; and so seems to be in very good
condition of content. Thence I away over the Park, it being now night,
to White Hall, and there, in the Duchess's chamber, do find the Duke
of York; and, upon my offer to speak with him, he did come to me, and
withdrew to his closet, and there did hear and approve my paper of the
Administration of the Navy, only did bid me alter these words, "upon
the rupture between the late King and the Parliament," to these, "the
beginning of the late Rebellion;" giving it me as but reason to shew
that it was with the Rebellion that the Navy was put by out of its old
good course, into that of a Commission. Having done this, we fell to
other talk; he with great confidence telling me how matters go among our
adversaries, in reference to the Navy, and that he thinks they do begin
to flag; but then, beginning to talk in general of the excellency of old
constitutions, he did bring out of his cabinet, and made me read it, an
extract out of a book of my late Lord of Northumberland's, so prophetic
of the business of Chatham, as is almost miraculous. I did desire, and
he did give it me to copy out, which pleased me mightily, and so, it
being late, I away and to my wife, and by hackney; home, and ther