Robe-chamber the Duke of York come to us, the officers of the Navy, and
there did meet together about Navy business, where Sir W. Coventry was
with us, and among other things did recommend his Royal Highness, now the
prizes were disposing, to remember Sir John Harman to the King, for some
bounty, and also for my Lady Minnes, which was very nobly done of him.
Thence all of us to attend the Council, where we were anon called on, and
there was a long hearing of Commissioner Pett, who was there, and there
were the two Masters Attendant of Chatham called in, who do deny their
having any order from Commissioner Pett about bringing up the great ships,
which gives the lie to what he says; but, in general, I find him to be but
a weak, silly man, and that is guilty of horrid neglect in this business
all along. Here broke off without coming to an issue, but that there
should be another hearing on Monday next. So the Council rose, and I
staid walking up and down the galleries till the King went to dinner, and
then I to my Lord Crew's to dinner; but he having dined, I took a very
short leave, confessing I had not dined; and so to an ordinary hard by the
Temple-gate, where I have heretofore been, and there dined--cost me 10d.
And so to my Lord Ashly's, where after dinner Sir H. Cholmly, Creed and I,
with his Lordship, about Mr. Yeabsly's business, where having come to
agreement with him abating him L1000 of what he demands for ships lost, I
to Westminster, to Mrs. Martin's lodging, whither I sent for her, and
there hear that her husband is come from sea, which is sooner than I
expected; and here I staid and drank, and so did toucher elle and away,
and so by coach to my tailor's, and thence to my Lord Crew's, and there
did stay with him an hour till almost night, discoursing about the ill
state of my Lord Sandwich, that he can neither be got to be called home,
nor money got to maintain him there; which will ruin his family. And the
truth is, he do almost deserve it, for by all relation he hath, in a
little more than a year and a half, spent L20,000 of the King's money, and
the best part of L10,000 of his own; which is a most prodigious expence,