the diary of samuel pepys-第237章

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17th。　　To　Sir　W。　Coventry's；　reading　over　first　my　draught　of　the　administration　of　the　Navy；　which　he　do　like　very　well；　and　so　fell　to　talk　of　his　late　disgrace；　and　how　basely　and　in　what　a　mean　manner　the　Duke　of　Buckingham　hath　proceeded　against　him；　not　like　a　man　of　honour。　　He　tells　me　that　the　King　will　not　give　other　answer；　about　his　coming　to　kiss　his　hands；　than　〃Not　yet。〃　　But　he　says　that　this　that　he　desires　of　kissing　the　King's　hand　is　only　to　show　to　the　world　that　he　is　not　a　discontent；　and　not　in　any　desire　to　come　again　into　play；　though　I　do　perceive　that　he　speaks　this　with　less　earnestness　than　heretofore；　and　this　it　may　be　is；　from　what　he　told　me　lately；　that　the　King　is　offended　at　what　is　talked；　that　he　hath　declared　himself　desirous　not　to　have　to　do　with　any　employment　more。　　But　he　do　tell　me　that　the　leisure　he　hath　yet　had　do　not　at　all　begin　to　be　burden　some　to　him；　he　knowing　how　to　spend　his　time　with　content　to　himself；　and　that　he　hopes　shortly　to　contract　his　expence；　so　as　that　he　shall　not　be　under　any　straits　in　that　respect　neither；　and　so　seems　to　be　in　very　good　condition　of　content。　　Thence　I　away　over　the　Park　it　being　now　night；　to　White　Hall：　　and　there　in　the　Duchesse's　chamber　do　find　the　Duke　of　York；　and　upon　my　offer　to　speak　with　him；　he　did　come　to　me　and　withdrew　to　his　closet；　and　there　did　hear　and　approve　my　paper　of　the　Administration　of　the　Navy；　only　did　bid　me　alter　these　words；　〃upon　the　rupture　between　the　late　King　and　the　Parliament；〃　to　these；　〃the　beginning　of　the　late　Rebellion；〃　giving　it　me　as　but　reason　to　show　that　it　was　with　the　Rebellion　that　the　Navy　was　put　by　out　of　its　old　good　course　into　that　of　a　Commission。　　Having　done　this；　we　fell　to　other　talk；　he　with　great　confidence　telling　me　how　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。

18th。　　To　my　office　again　to　examine　the　fair　draught；　and　so　borrowing　Sir　J。　Minnes's　coach；　he　going　with　Colonell　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。　Clifford；　were。　　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　in　the　Duchesse's　chamber；　where　he　told　me　that　the　book　was　there　left　with　my　Lord　Arlington　for　any　of　the　Lords　to　view　that　had　a　mind；　and　to　prepare　and　present　to　the　King　what　they　had　to　say　in　writing　to　any　part　of　it；　which　is　all　we　can　desire；　and　so　that　rested。　　The　Duke　of　York　then　went　to　other　talk；　and　by　and　by　comes　the　Prince　of　Tuscany　to　visit　him　and　the　Duchesse；　and　find　that　he　do　still　remain　incognito；　and　so　intends　to　do　all　the　time　he　stays　here；　for　avoiding　trouble　to　the　King　and　himself；　and　expence　also　to　both。

20th。　　At　noon　comes　my　guest　Mr。　Hugh　May；　and　with　him　Sir　Henry　Capell；　my　old　Lord　Capell's　son；　and　Mr。　Parker。　　And　I　had　a　pretty　dinner　for　them；　and　both　before　and　after　dinner　had　excellent　discourse；　and　showed　them　my　closet　and　my　office；　and　the　method　of　it；　to　their　great　content：　　and　more　extraordinary　manly　discourse　and　opportunity　of　showing　myself；　and　learning　from　others；　I　have　not　in　ordinary　discourse　had　in　my　life；　they　being　all　persons　of　worth；　but　especially　Sir　H。　Capell；　whose　being　a　Parliament…man；　and　hearing　my　discourse　in　the　Parliament…house；　hath；　as　May　tells　me；　given　him　a　long　desire　to　know　and　discourse　with　me。　　In　the　afternoon　we　walked　to　the　Old　Artillery…ground　near　the　Spitalfields；　where　I　never　was　before；　but　now　by　Captain　Deane's　invitation　did　go　to　see　his　new　gun　tryed；　this　being　the　place　where　the　officers　of　the　Ordnance　do　try　all　their　great　guns：　　and　when　we　came；　did　find　that　the　trial　had　been　made；　and　they　going　away；　with　extraordinary　report　of　the　proof　of　his　gun；　which；　from　the　shortness　and　bigness；　they　do　call　Punchinello。　　But　I　desired　Colonell　Legg　to　stay　and　give　us　a　sight　of　her　performance；　which　he　did；　and　there；　in　short；　against　a　gun　more　than　as　long　and　as　heavy　again；　and　charged　with　as　much　powder　again；　she　carried　the　same　bullet　as　strong　to　the　mark；　and　nearer　and　above　the　mark　at　a　point　blank　than　theirs；　and　is　more　easily　managed；　and　recoyles　no　more　than　that；　which　is　a　thing　so　extraordinary　as　to　be　admired　for　the　happiness　of　his　invention；　and　to　the　great　regret　of　the　old　gunners　and　officers　of　the　Ordnance　that　were　there；　only　Colonell　Legg　did　do　her　much　right　in　his　report　of　her；　and　so　having　seen　this　great　and　first　experiment　we　all　parted；　I　seeing　my　guests　into　a　hackney…coach；　and　myself；　with　Captain　Deane；　taking　a　hackney…coach；　did　go　out　towards　Bow；　and　went　as　far　as　Stratford；　and　all　the　way　talking　of　this　invention；　and　he　offering　me　a　third　of　the　profit　of　it；　which；　for　aught　I　know；　or　do　at　present　think；　may　prove　matter　considerable　to　us；　for　either　the　King　will　give　him　a　reward　for　it　if　he　keeps　it　to　himself；　or　he　will　give　us　a　patent　to　make　our　profit　of　it；　and　no　doubt　but　it　will　be　of　profit　to　merchantmen　and　others　to　have　guns　of　the　same　force　at　half　the　charge。　　This　was　our　talk；　and　then　to　talk　of　other　things；　of　the　Navy　in　general：　and；　among　other　things；　he　did　tell　me　that　he　do　hear　how　the　Duke　of　Buckingham　hath　a　spite　at　me；　which　I　knew　before；　but　value　it　not；　and　he　tells　me　that　Sir　T。　Allen　is　not　my　friend：　but　for　all　this　I　am　not　much　troubled；　for　I　know　myself　so　usefull　that；　as　I　believe；　they　will　not　part　with　me；　so　I　thank　God　my　condition　is　such　that　I　can　retire　and　be　able　to　live　with　comfort；　though　not　with　abundance。

21st。　　To　Auditor　Wood's；　and　met　my　Lord　Bellasses　upon　some　business　of　his　accounts。　　Attended　the　Duke　of　York　a　little；　being　the　first　time　of　my　waiting　on　him　at　St。　James's　this　summer；　whither　he　is　now　newly　gone。　　And　thence　walked　to　White　Hall；　and　so　by　and　by　to　the　Council…chamber；　and　heard　a　remarkable　cause　pleaded　between　the　Farmers　of　the　Excise　of　Wiltshire；　in　complaint　against　the　Justices　of　Peace　of　Salisbury：　　and　Sir　H。　Finch　was　for　the　former。　　But；　Lord！　　to　see　how　he　did　with　his　admirable　eloquence　order　the　matter；　is　not　to　be　conceived　almost：　　so　pleasant　a　thing　it　is　to　hear　him　plead！　　after　dinner　by　water　to　White　Hall；　where　the　Duke　of　York　did　meet　our　office；　and　went　with　us　to　the　Lords　Commissioners　of　the　Treasury：　　and　there　we　did　go　over　all　the　business　of　the　state　I　had　drawn　up　of　this　year's　action　and　expence；　which　I　did　do　to　their　satisfaction；　and　convincing　them　of　the　necessity　of　providing　more　money；　if　possible；　for　us。　　Thence　the　Duke　of　York　being　gone；　I　did　there　stay　walking　with　Sir　H。　Cholmly　in　the　Court；　talking　of　news；　where　he　told　me　that　now　the　great　design　of　the　Duke　of　Buckingham　is　to　prevent　the　meeting；　since　he　cannot　bring　about　with　the　King　the　dissolving　of　this　Parliament；　that　the　King　may　not　need　it；　and　therefore　my　Lord　St。　Alban's　is　hourly　expected　with　great　offers　of　a　million　of　money　to　buy　our　br