medley of absurd jokes and ’personal ridicule, which gradually led to the abolition of the office.  In Thoresby’s “Diary” we read, “Tuesday, July 6th.  The Praevaricator’s speech was smart and ingenious, attended with vollies of hurras” (see Wordsworth’s “University Life in the Eighteenth Century “).—­M.  B.]

in my time, and staid all the morning with me discoursing, and his business to get a man discharged, which I did do for him.  Dined with little heart at noon, in the afternoon against my will to the office, where Sir G. Carteret and we met about an order of the Council for the hiring him a house, giving him L1000 fine, and L70 per annum for it.  Here Sir J. Minnes took occasion, in the most childish and most unbeseeming manner, to reproach us all, but most himself, that he was not valued as Comptroller among us, nor did anything but only set his hand to paper, which is but too true; and every body had a palace, and he no house to lie in, and wished he had but as much to build him a house with, as we have laid out in carved worke.  It was to no end to oppose, but all bore it, and after laughed at him for it.  So home, and late reading “The Siege of Rhodes” to my wife, and then to bed, my head being in great pain and my palate still down.

24th.  Up and to the office, where all the morning busy, then home to dinner, and so after dinner comes one Phillips, who is concerned in the Lottery, and from him I collected much concerning that business.  I carried him in my way to White Hall and set him down at Somersett House.  Among other things he told me that Monsieur Du Puy, that is so great a man at the Duke of Yorke’s, and this man’s great opponent, is a knave and by quality but a tailor.  To the Tangier Committee, and there I opposed Colonell Legg’s estimate of supplies of provisions to be sent to Tangier till all were ashamed of it, and he fain after all his good husbandry and seeming ignorance and joy to have the King’s money saved, yet afterwards he discovered all his design to be to keep the furnishing of these things to the officers of the Ordnance, but Mr. Coventry seconded me, and between us we shall save the King some money in the year.  In one business of deales in L520, I offer to save L172, and yet purpose getting money, to myself by it.  So home and to my office, and business being done home to supper and so to bed, my head and throat being still out of order mightily.  This night Prior of Brampton came and paid me L40, and I find this poor painful man is the only thriving and purchasing man in the town almost.  We were told to-day of a Dutch ship of 3 or 400 tons, where all the men were dead of the plague, and the ship cast ashore at Gottenburgh.