walking with him in the gallery, and then in the garden, and then going
away I ended my discourse with Mr. Coventry. But by the way Mr. Coventry
was saying that there remained nothing now in our office to be amended but
what would do of itself every day better and better, for as much as he
that was slowest, Sir W. Batten, do now begin to look about him and to
mind business. At which, God forgive me! I was a little moved with envy,
but yet I am glad, and ought to be, though it do lessen a little my care
to see that the King's service is like to be better attended than it was
heretofore. Thence by coach to Mr. Povy's, being invited thither by [him]
came a messenger this morning from him, where really he made a most
excellent and large dinner, of their variety, even to admiration, he
bidding us, in a frolique, to call for what we had a mind, and he would
undertake to give it us: and we did for prawns, swan, venison, after I had
thought the dinner was quite done, and he did immediately produce it,
which I thought great plenty, and he seems to set off his rest in this
plenty and the neatness of his house, which he after dinner showed me,
from room to room, so beset with delicate pictures, and above all, a piece
of perspective in his closett in the low parler; his stable, where was
some most delicate horses, and the very-racks painted, and mangers, with a
neat leaden painted cistern, and the walls done with Dutch tiles, like my
chimnies. But still, above all things, he bid me go down into his
wine-cellar, where upon several shelves there stood bottles of all sorts
of wine, new and old, with labells pasted upon each bottle, and in the
order and plenty as I never saw books in a bookseller's shop; and herein,
I observe, he puts his highest content, and will accordingly commend all
that he hath, but still they deserve to be so. Here dined with me Dr.
Whore and Mr. Scawen. Therewith him and Mr. Bland, whom we met by the way,
to my Lord Chancellor's, where the King was to meet my Lord Treasurer,
&c., many great men, to settle the revenue of Tangier. I staid talking
awhile there, but the King not coming I walked to my brother's, where I