ernments, I do and must admire. After the Committee up, I and Sir
W. Coventry walked an hour in the gallery, talking over many businesses,
and he tells me that there are so many things concur to make him and
his Fellow Commissioners unable to go through the King's work that he
do despair of it, every body becoming an enemy to them in their
retrenchments, and the King unstable, the debts great and the King's
present occasions for money great and many and pressing, the bankers
broke and every body keeping in their money, while the times are
doubtful what will stand. But he says had they come in two years ago
they doubt not to have done what the King would by this time, or were
the King in the condition as heretofore, when the Chancellor was great,
to be able to have what sums of money they pleased of the Parliament,
and then the ill administration was such that instead of making good use
of this power and money he suffered all to go to ruin. But one such
sum now would put all upon their legs, and now the King would have the
Parliament give him money when they are in an ill humour and will not be
willing to give any, nor are very able, and besides every body distrusts
what they give the King will be lost; whereas six months hence, when
they see that the King can live without them, and is become steady,
and to manage what he has well, he doubts not but their doubts would be
removed, and would be much more free as well as more able to give him
money. He told me how some of his enemies at the Duke of York's had
got the Duke of York's commission for the Commissioners of his estate
changed, and he and Brouncker and Povy left out: that this they did do
to disgrace and impose upon him at this time; but that he, though he
values not the thing, did go and tell the Duke of York what he heard,
and that he did not think that he had given him any reason to do this,
out of his belief that he would not be as faithful and serviceable to
him as the best of those that have got him put out. Whereupon the Duke
of York did say that it arose only from his not knowing whether now he
would have time to regard his affairs; and that, if he should, he would
put him into the commission with his own hand, though the commission be
passed. He answered that he had been faithful to him, and done him good
service therein, so long as he could attend it; and if he had been able
to have attended it more, he would not have enriched himself with such
and such est