and love to me, and his concernment for my health in all this sickness, I
went down into one of the Courts, and there met the King and Duke; and the
Duke called me to him. And the King come to me of himself, and told me,
"Mr. Pepys," says he, "I do give you thanks for your good service all this
year, and I assure you I am very sensible of it." And the Duke of Yorke
did tell me with pleasure, that he had read over my discourse about
pursers, and would have it ordered in my way, and so fell from one
discourse to another. I walked with them quite out of the Court into the
fields, and then back to my Lord Sandwich's chamber, where I find him
very melancholy and not well satisfied, I perceive, with my carriage to
Sir G. Carteret, but I did satisfy him and made him confess to me, that I
have a very hard game to play; and told me he was sorry to see it, and the
inconveniences which likely may fall upon me with him; but, for all that,
I am not much afeard, if I can but keepe out of harm's way in not being
found too much concerned in my Lord's or Sir G. Carteret's matters, and
that I will not be if I can helpe it. He hath got over his business of
the prizes, so far as to have a privy seale passed for all that was in his
distribution to the officers, which I am heartily glad of; and, for the
rest, he must be answerable for what he is proved to have. But for his
pardon for anything else, he thinks it not seasonable to aske it, and not
usefull to him; because that will not stop a Parliament's mouth, and for
the King, he is sure enough of him. I did aske him whether he was sure of
the interest and friendship of any great Ministers of State and he told
me, yes. As we were going further, in comes my Lord Mandeville, so we
were forced to breake off and I away, and to Sir W. Coventry's chamber,
where he not come in but I find Sir W. Pen, and he and I to discourse. I
find him very much out of humour, so that I do not think matters go very
well with him, and I am glad of it. He and I staying till late, and Sir
W. Coventry not coming in (being shut up close all the afternoon with the
Duke of Albemarle), we took boat, and by water to Kingston, and so to our