dinner, Mr. Spong and I to my closet, there to try my instrument
Parallelogram, which do mighty well, to my full content; but only a little
stiff, as being new. Thence, taking leave of my guests, he and I and W.
Hewer to White Hall, and there parting with Spong, a man that I mightily
love for his plainness and ingenuity, I into the Court, and there up and
down and spoke with my Lords Bellassis and Peterborough about the business
now in dispute, about my deputing a Treasurer to pay the garrison at
Tangier, which I would avoid, and not be accountable, and they will serve
me therein. Here I met Hugh May, and he brings me to the knowledge of Sir
Henry Capell, a Member of Parliament, and brother of my Lord of Essex, who
hath a great value, it seems, for me; and they appoint a day to come and
dine with me, and see my books, and papers of the Office, which I shall be
glad to shew them, and have opportunity to satisfy them therein. Here all
the discourse is, that now the King is of opinion to have the Parliament
called, notwithstanding his late resolutions for proroguing them; so
unstable are his councils, and those about him. So staying late talking
in the Queen's side, I away, with W. Hewer home, and there to read and
talk with my wife, and so to bed.

18th. Up by candlelight, and with W. Hewer walked to the Temple, and
thence took coach and to Sir William Coventry's, and there discoursed the
business of my Treasurer's place, at Tangier, wherein he consents to my
desire, and concurs therein, which I am glad of, that I may not be
accountable for a man so far off. And so I to my Lord Sandwich's, and
there walk with him through the garden, to White Hall, where he tells me
what he had done about this Treasurer's place, and I perceive the whole
thing did proceed from him: that finding it would be best to have the
Governor have nothing to do with the pay of the garrison, he did propose
to the Duke of York alone that a pay-master should be there; and that
being desirous to do a courtesy to Sir Charles Harbord, and to prevent the