to dinner, and after dinner by coach to my Lord Chancellor's, and there a
meeting: the Duke of York, Duke of Albemarle, and several other Lords of
the Commission of Tangier. And there I did present a state of my
accounts, and managed them well; and my Lord Chancellor did say, though he
was, in other things, in an ill humour, that no man in England was of more
method, nor made himself better understood than myself. But going, after
the business of money was over, to other businesses, of settling the
garrison, he did fling out, and so did the Duke of York, two or three
severe words touching my Lord Bellasses: that he would have no Governor
come away from thence in less than three years; no, though his lady were
with child. "And," says the Duke of York, "there should be no Governor
continue so, longer than three years." "Nor," says Lord Arlington, "when
our rules are once set, and upon good judgment declared, no Governor
should offer to alter them."--"We must correct the many things that are
amiss there; for," says the Lord Chancellor, "you must think we do hear of
more things amisse than we are willing to speak before our friends'
faces." My Lord Bellasses would not take notice of their reflecting on
him, and did wisely, but there were also many reflections on him. Thence
away by coach to Sir H. Cholmly and Fitzgerald and Creed, setting down the
two latter at the New Exchange. And Sir H. Cholmly and I to the Temple,
and there walked in the dark in the walks talking of newes; and he
surprises me with the certain newes that the King did last night in
Council declare his being in treaty with the Dutch: that they had sent him
a very civil letter, declaring that, if nobody but themselves were
concerned, they would not dispute the place of treaty, but leave it to his
choice; but that, being obliged to satisfy therein a Prince of equal
quality with himself, they must except any place in England or Spayne.
And so the King hath chosen the Hague, and thither hath chose my Lord
Hollis and Harry Coventry to go Embassadors to treat; which is so mean a
thing, as all the world will believe, that we do go to beg a peace of