matters go among our adversaries, in reference to the Navy, and that he
thinks they do begin to flag; but then, beginning to talk in general of
the excellency of old constitutions, he did bring out of his cabinet, and
made me read it, an extract out of a book of my late Lord of
Northumberland's, so prophetic of the: business of Chatham, as is almost
miraculous. I did desire, and he did give it me to copy out, which
pleased me mightily, and so, it being late, I away and to my wife, and by
hackney; home, and there, my eyes being weary with reading so much: but
yet not so much as I was afeard they would, we home to supper and to bed.

18th (Lord's day). Up, and all the morning till 2 o'clock at my Office,
with Gibson and Tom, about drawing up fair my discourse of the
Administration of the Navy, and then, Mr. Spong being come to dine with
me, I in to dinner, and then out to my Office again, to examine the fair
draught; and so borrowing Sir J. Minnes's coach, he going with Colonel
Middleton, I to White Hall, where we all met and did sign it and then to
my Lord Arlington's, where the King, and the Duke of York, and Prince
Rupert, as also Ormond and the two Secretaries, with my Lord Ashly and Sir
T. Clifton was. And there, by and by, being called in, Mr. Williamson did
read over our paper, which was in a letter to the Duke of York, bound up
in a book with the Duke of York's Book of Instructions. He read it well;
and, after read, we were bid to withdraw, nothing being at all said to it.
And by and by we were called in again, and nothing said to that business;
but another begun, about the state of this year's action, and our wants of
money, as I had stated the same lately to our Treasurers; which I was bid,
and did largely, and with great content, open. And having so done, we all
withdrew, and left them to debate our supply of money; to which, being
called in, and referred to attend on the Lords of the Treasury, we all
departed. And I only staid in the House till the Council rose; and then
to the Duke of York, who in the Duchess's chamber come to me, and told me