of it also to [Sir] W. Coventry, who told me that he had both the thing
and the person in his head before to have done it, which is a double
pleasure to me. Our business with the Duke being done, [Sir] W. Pen and I
towards the Exchequer, and in our way met Sir G. Downing going to chapel,
but we stopped, and he would go with us back to the Exchequer and showed
us in his office his chests full and ground and shelves full of money, and
says that there is L50,000 at this day in his office of people's money,
who may demand it this day, and might have had it away several weeks ago
upon the late Act, but do rather choose to have it continue there than to
put it into the Banker's hands, and I must confess it is more than I
should have believed had I not seen it, and more than ever I could have
expected would have arisen for this new Act in so short a time, and if it
do so now already what would it do if the money was collected upon the Act
and returned into the Exchequer so timely as it ought to be. But it comes
into my mind here to observe what I have heard from Sir John Bankes,
though I cannot fully conceive the reason of it, that it will be
impossible to make the Exchequer ever a true bank to all intents, unless
the Exchequer stood nearer the Exchange, where merchants might with ease,
while they are going about their business, at all hours, and without
trouble or loss of time, have their satisfaction, which they cannot have
now without much trouble, and loss of half a day, and no certainty of
having the offices open. By this he means a bank for common practise and
use of merchants, and therein I do agree with him. Being parted from Sir
W. Pen and [Sir] G. Downing, I to Westminster Hall and there met Balty,
whom I had sent for, and there did break the business of my getting him
the place of going again as Muster-Master with Harman this voyage to the
West Indys, which indeed I do owe to Sir W. Pen. He is mighty glad of it,
and earnest to fit himself for it, but I do find, poor man, that he is
troubled how to dispose of his wife, and apparently it is out of fear of
her, and his honour, and I believe he hath received some cause of this his