rkeley, Sir John Duncomb, and Mr. Chichly; then we, my Lord Bruncker,
[Sir] W. Batten, [Sir] W. Pen, and myself; where we find only the King
and Duke of York, and my Lord Treasurer, and Sir G. Carteret; where I
only did speak, laying down the state of our wants, which the King
and Duke of York seemed very well pleased with, and we did get what we
asked, L500,000, assigned upon the eleven months' tax: but that is
not so much ready money, or what will raise L40,000 per week, which
we desired, and the business will want. Yet are we fain to come away
answered, when, God knows, it will undo the King's business to have
matters of this moment put off in this manner. The King did prevent my
offering anything by and by as Treasurer for Tangier, telling me that
he had ordered us L30,000 on the same tax; but that is not what we would
have to bring our payments to come within a year. So we gone out, in
went others; viz., one after another, Sir Stephen Fox for the army,
Captain Cocke for sick and wounded, Mr. Ashburnham for the household.
Thence [Sir] W. Batten, [Sir] W. Pen, and I, back again; I mightily
pleased with what I had said and done, and the success thereof. But, it
being a fine clear day, I did, 'en gayete de coeur', propose going to
Bow for ayre sake, and dine there, which they embraced, and so [Sir] W.
Batten and I (setting [Sir] W. Pen down at Mark Lane end) straight to
Bow, to the Queen's Head, and there bespoke our dinner, carrying meat
with us from London; and anon comes [Sir] W. Pen with my wife and Lady
Batten, and then Mr. Lowder with his mother and wife. While [Sir] W.
Batten and I were alone, we had much friendly discourse, though I will
never trust him far; but we do propose getting "The Flying Greyhound,"
our privateer, to us and [Sir] W. Pen at the end of the year when we
call her home, by begging her of the King, and I do not think we shall
be denied her. They being come, we to oysters and so to talk, very
pleasant I was all day, and anon to dinner, and I made very good
company. Here till the evening, so as it was dark almost before we got
home (back again in the same method, I think, we went), and spent the
night talking at Sir W. Batten's, only a little at my office, to look
over the Victualler's contract, and draw up some arguments for him to
plead for his charges in transportation of goods beyond the ports which
the letter of one article in his contract do lay upon him. This done
I home to supper and to b