day to hear Mr. Williamson discourse, who come to be a contractor with
others for the Lotterys, and indeed I find he is a very logicall man and a
good speaker. But it was so pleasant to see my Lord Craven, the
chaireman, before many persons of worth and grave, use this comparison in
saying that certainly these that would contract for all the lotteries
would not suffer us to set up the Virginia lottery for plate before them,
"For," says he, "if I occupy a wench first, you may occupy her again your
heart out you can never have her maidenhead after I have once had it,"
which he did more loosely, and yet as if he had fetched a most grave and
worthy instance. They made mirth, but I and others were ashamed of it.
Thence to the 'Change and thence home to dinner, and thence to the office
a good while, and thence to the Council chamber at White Hall to speake
with Sir G. Carteret, and here by accident heard a great and famous cause
between Sir G. Lane and one Mr. Phill. Whore, an Irish business about Sir
G. Lane's endeavouring to reverse a decree of the late Commissioners of
Ireland in a Rebells case for his land, which the King had given as
forfeited to Sir G. Lane, for whom the Sollicitor did argue most angell
like, and one of the Commissioners, Baron, did argue for the other and for
himself and his brethren who had decreed it. But the Sollicitor do so pay
the Commissioners, how four all along did act for the Papists, and three
only for the Protestants, by which they were overvoted, but at last one
word (which was omitted in the Sollicitor's repeating of an Act of
Parliament in the case) being insisted on by the other part, the
Sollicitor was put to a great stop, and I could discern he could not tell
what to say, but was quite out. Thence home well pleased with this
accident, and so home to my office, where late, and then to supper and to
bed. This day I had a letter from Mr. Coventry, that tells me that my
Lord Brunkard is to be one of our Commissioners, of which I am very glad,
if any more must be.