o argue (nay, and though he did begin so
sillily that we laughed in scorn in our sleeves at him), yet he did so
state the case, that the judge did not think fit to decide the cause
to-night, but took to to-morrow, and did stagger us in our hopes, so as
to make us despair of the success. I am mightily pleased with the judge,
who seems a very rational, learned, and uncorrupt man, and much good
reading and reason there is heard in hearing of this law argued, so that
the thing pleased me, though our success doth shake me. Thence Sir W.
Pen and I home and to write letters, among others a sad one to my father
upon fear of my mother's death, and so home to supper and to bed.

27th. [Sir] W. Pen and I to White Hall, and in the coach did begin our
discourse again about Balty, and he promises me to move it this very
day. He and I met my Lord Bruncker at Sir G. Carteret's by appointment,
there to discourse a little business, all being likely to go to rack for
lack of money still. Thence to the Duke of York's lodgings, and did our
usual business, and Sir W. Pen telling me that he had this morning spoke
of Balty to Sir W. Coventry, and that the thing was done, I did take
notice of it also to [Sir] W. Coventry, who told me that he had both
the thing and the person in his head before to have done it, which is a
double pleasure to me. Our business with the Duke being done, [Sir] W.
Pen and I towards the Exchequer, and in our way met Sir G. Downing going
to chapel, but we stopped, and he would go with us back to the Exchequer
and showed us in his office his chests full and ground and shelves full
of money, and says that there is L50,000 at this day in his office of
people's money, who may demand it this day, and might have had it away
several weeks ago upon the late Act, but do rather choose to have
it continue there than to put it into the Banker's hands, and I must
confess it is more than I should have believed had I not seen it, and
more than ever I could have expected would have arisen for this new Act
in so short a time, and if it do so now already what would it do if
the money was collected upon the Act and returned into the Exchequer so
timely as it ought to be. But it comes into my mind here to observe what
I have heard from Sir John Bankes, though I cannot fully conceive the
reason of it, that it will be impossible to make the Exchequer ever
a true bank to all intents, unless the Exchequer stood nearer the
Exchange, where mercha