from his Lordship. So, full of horror, I went,
and found him busy in tryals of law in his great room;
and it being Sitting-day, durst not stay, but went
to my Lord and told him so: whereupon he directed
me to take him after dinner; and so away I home, leaving
my Lord mightily concerned for me. I to the
office, and there sat busy all the morning. At
noon to the ’Change, and from the ’Change
over with Alsopp and the others to the Pope’s
Head tavern, and there staid a quarter of an hour,
and concluded upon this, that in case I got them no
more than 3s. per week per man I should have of them
but L150 per ann., but to have it without any adventure
or charge, but if I got them 3s. 2d., then they would
give me L300 in the like manner. So I directed
them to draw up their tender in a line or two against
the afternoon, and to meet me at White Hall.
So I left them, and I to my Lord Chancellor’s;
and there coming out after dinner I accosted him,
telling him that I was the unhappy Pepys that had
fallen into his high displeasure, and come to desire
him to give me leave to make myself better understood
to his Lordship, assuring him of my duty and service.
He answered me very pleasingly, that he was confident
upon the score of my Lord Sandwich’s character
of me, but that he had reason to think what he did,
and desired me to call upon him some evening:
I named to-night, and he accepted of it. So
with my heart light I to White Hall, and there after
understanding by a stratagem, and yet appearing wholly
desirous not to understand Mr. Gauden’s price
when he desired to show it me, I went down and ordered
matters in our tender so well that at the meeting
by and by I was ready with Mr. Gauden’s and his,
both directed him a letter to me to give the board
their two tenders, but there being none but the Generall
Monk and Mr. Coventry and Povy and I, I did not think
fit to expose them to view now, but put it off till
Saturday, and so with good content rose. Thence
I to the Half Moone, against the ’Change, to
acquaint Lanyon and his friends of our proceedings,
and thence to my Lord Chancellor’s, and there
heard several tryals, wherein I perceive my Lord is
a most able and ready man. After all done, he
himself called, “Come, Mr. Pepys, you and I
will take a turn in the garden.” So he
was led down stairs, having the goute, and there walked
with me, I think, above an houre, talking most friendly,
yet cunningly. I told him clearly how things
were; how ignorant I was of his Lordship’s concernment
in it; how I did not do nor say one word singly, but
what was done was the act of the whole Board.
He told me by name that he was more angry with Sir
G. Carteret than with me, and also with the whole
body of the Board. But thinking who it was of
the Board that knew him least, he did place his fear
upon me; but he finds that he is indebted to none of
his friends there. I think I did thoroughly
appease him, till he thanked me for my desire and
pains to satisfy him; and upon my desiring to be directed