had received some money for the place, and so the King could not
disappoint them, but was forced to put out this fool rather than a better
man. And I am sorry to hear what he tells me that Sir Charles Barkeley
hath still such power over the King, as to be able to fetch him from the
Council-table to my Lady Castlemaine when he pleases. He tells me also,
as a friend, the great injury that he thinks I do myself by being so
severe in the Yards, and contracting the ill-will of the whole Navy for
those offices, singly upon myself. Now I discharge a good conscience
therein, and I tell him that no man can (nor do he say any say it) charge
me with doing wrong; but rather do as many good offices as any man. They
think, he says, that I have a mind to get a good name with the King and
Duke, who he tells me do not consider any such thing; but I shall have as
good thanks to let all alone, and do as the rest. But I believe the
contrary; and yet I told him I never go to the Duke alone, as others do,
to talk of my own services. However, I will make use of his council, and
take some course to prevent having the single ill-will of the office.
Before I went to the office I went to the Coffee House, where Sir J.
Cutler and Mr. Grant were, and there Mr. Grant showed me letters of Sir
William Petty's, wherein he says, that his vessel which he hath built upon
two keeles (a modell whereof, built for the King, he showed me) hath this
month won a wager of L50 in sailing between Dublin and Holyhead with the
pacquett-boat, the best ship or vessel the King hath there; and he offers
to lay with any vessel in the world. It is about thirty ton in burden,
and carries thirty men, with good accommodation, (as much more as any ship
of her burden,) and so any vessel of this figure shall carry more men,
with better accommodation by half, than any other ship. This carries also
ten guns, of about five tons weight. In their coming back from Holyhead
they started together, and this vessel came to Dublin by five at night,
and the pacquett-boat not before eight the next morning; and when they
came they did believe that, this vessel had been drowned, or at least