Carteret with the letter and thence to my Lord Treasurer's; wherewith Sir
Philip Warwicke long studying all we could to make the last year swell as
high as we could. And it is much to see how he do study for the King, to
do it to get all the money from the Parliament all he can: and I shall be
serviceable to him therein, to help him to heads upon which to enlarge the
report of the expense. He did observe to me how obedient this Parliament
was for awhile, and the last sitting how they begun to differ, and to carp
at the King's officers; and what they will do now, he says, is to make
agreement for the money, for there is no guess to be made of it. He told
me he was prepared to convince the Parliament that the Subsidys are a most
ridiculous tax (the four last not rising to L40,000), and unequall. He
talks of a tax of Assessment of L70,000 for five years; the people to be
secured that it shall continue no longer than there is really a warr; and
the charges thereof to be paid. He told me, that one year of the late
Dutch warr cost L1,623,000. Thence to my Lord Chancellor's, and there
staid long with Sir W. Batten and Sir J. Minnes, to speak with my lord
about our Prize Office business; but, being sicke and full of visitants,
we could not speak with him, and so away home. Where Sir Richard Ford did
meet us with letters from Holland this day, that it is likely the Dutch
fleete will not come out this year; they have not victuals to keep them
out, and it is likely they will be frozen before they can get back.
Captain Cocke is made Steward for sick and wounded seamen. So home to
supper, where troubled to hear my poor boy Tom has a fit of the stone, or
some other pain like it. I must consult Mr. Holliard for him. So at one
in the morning home to bed.

23rd. Up and to my office, where close all the morning about my Lord
Treasurer's accounts, and at noon home to dinner, and then to the office
all the afternoon very busy till very late at night, and then to supper
and to bed. This evening Mr. Hollyard came to me and told me that he hath