at noon home to dinner, where Mr. Holliard come and eat with us, who among
other things do give me good hopes that we shall give my father some ease
as to his rupture when he comes to town, which I expect to-morrow. After
dinner comes Fist, and he and I to our report again till 9 o'clock, and
then by coach to my Lord Chancellor's, where I met Mr. Povy, expecting the
coming of the rest of the Commissioners for Tangier. Here I understand
how the two Dukes, both the only sons of the Duke of York, are sick even
to danger, and that on Sunday last they were both so ill, as that the poor
Duchess was in doubt which would die first: the Duke of Cambridge of some
general disease; the other little Duke, whose title I know not, of the
convulsion fits, of which he had four this morning. Fear that either of
them might be dead, did make us think that it was the occasion that the
Duke of York and others were not come to the meeting of the Commission
which was designed, and my Lord Chancellor did expect. And it was pretty
to observe how, when my Lord sent down to St. James's to see why the Duke
of York come not, and Mr. Povy, who went, returned, my Lord (Chancellor)
did ask, not how the Princes or the Dukes do, as other people do, but "How
do the children?" which methought was mighty great, and like a great man
and grandfather. I find every body mightily concerned for these children,
as a matter wherein the State is much concerned that they should live. At
last it was found that the meeting did fail from no known occasion, at
which my Lord Chancellor was angry, and did cry out against Creed that he
should give him no notice. So Povy and I went forth, and staid at the gate
of the house by the streete, and there stopped to talk about the business
of the Treasury of Tangier, which by the badness of our credit, and the
resolution that the Governor shall not be paymaster, will force me to
provide one there to be my paymaster, which I will never do, but rather
lose my place, for I will not venture my fortune to a fellow to be
employed so far off, and in that wicked place. Thence home, and with Fist
presently to the finishing the writing fair of our report. And by and by