order from the King, came last night to the Duke of York, for signifying
his pleasure to the Sollicitor-General for drawing up a Commission for
suspending of my Lord Anglesey, and putting in Sir Thomas. Littleton and
Sir Thomas Osborne, the former a creature of Arlington's, and the latter
of the Duke of Buckingham's, during the suspension. The Duke of York was
forced to obey, and did grant it, he being to go to Newmarket this day
with the King, and so the King pressed for it. But Mr. Wren do own that
the Duke of York is the most wounded in this, in the world, for it is done
and concluded without his privity, after his appearing for Lord Anglesey,
and that it is plain that they do ayme to bring the Admiralty into
Commission too, and lessen the Duke of York. This do put strange
apprehensions into all our Board; only I think I am the least troubled at
it, for I care not at all for it: but my Lord Brouncker and Pen do seem to
think much of it. So home to dinner, full of this news, and after dinner
to the office, and so home all the afternoon to do business towards my
drawing up an account for the Duke of York of the answers of this office
to his late great letter, and late at it, and so to bed, with great peace
from my wife and quiet, I bless God.
30th. Up betimes; and Mr. Povy comes to even accounts with me, which we
did, and then fell to other talk. He tells, in short, how the King is
made a child of, by Buckingham and Arlington, to the lessening of the Duke
of York, whom they cannot suffer to be great, for fear of my Lord
Chancellor's return, which, therefore, they make the King violent against.
That he believes it is impossible these two great men can hold together
long: or, at least, that the ambition of the former is so great, that he
will endeavour to master all, and bring into play as many as he can. That
Anglesey will not lose his place easily, but will contend in law with
whoever comes to execute it. That the Duke of York, in all things but in
his cod-piece, is led by the nose by his wife. That W. Coventry is now,
by the Duke of York, made friends with the Duchess; and that he is often
there, and waits on her. That he do believe that these present great men
will break in time, and that W. Coventry will be a great man again; for he
do labour to have nothing to do in matters of the State, and is so usefull
to the side that he is on, that he will stand, though at present he is
quite out of play. That my Lady Castlemayne hates the Duke of Buckingham.
That the Duke of York hath expressed himself very kind to my Lord
Sandwich, which I am mighty glad of. That we are to expect more changes
if these men stand. This done, he and I to talk of my coach, and I got
him to go see it, where he finds most infinite fault with it, both as to
being out of fashion and heavy, with so good reason that I am mightily
glad of his having corrected me in it; and so I do resolve to have one of
his build, and with his advice, both in coach and horses, he being the
fittest man in the world for it, and so he carried me home, and said the
same to my wife. So I to the office and he away, and at noon I home to
dinner, and all the afternoon late with Gibson at my chamber about my
present great business, only a little in the afternoon at the office about
Sir D. Gawden's accounts, and so to bed and slept heartily, my wife and I
at good peace, but my heart troubled and her mind not at ease, I perceive,
she against and I for the girle, to whom I have not said anything these
three days, but resolve to be mighty strange in appearance to her. This
night W. Batelier come and took his leave of us, he setting out for France
to-morrow.
31st. Up, and at the office all the morning. At noon home to dinner with
my people, and afternoon to the office again, and then to my chamber with
Gibson to do more about my great answer for the Duke of York, and so at
night after supper to bed well pleased with my advance thereon. This day
my Lord Anglesey was at the Office, and do seem to make nothing of this
business of his suspension, resolving to bring it into the Council, where
he seems not to doubt to have right, he standing upon his defence and
patent, and hath put in his caveats to the several Offices: so, as soon as
the King comes back again, which will be on Tuesday next, he will bring it
into the Council. So ends this month with some quiet to my mind, though
not perfect, after the greatest falling out with my poor wife, and through
my folly with the girl, that ever I had, and I have reason to be sorry and
ashamed of it, and more to be troubled for the poor girl's sake, whom I
fear I shall by this means prove the ruin of, though I shall think myself
concerned both to love and be a friend to her. This day Roger Pepys and
his son Talbot, newly come to town, come and dined with me, and mighty
glad I am to see them.
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