to the office, where to my great trouble I found Mr. Coventry and the board met before I come.  I excused my late coming by having been on the River about office business.  So to business all the morning.  At noon Captain Ferrers and Mr. Moore dined with me, the former of them the first time I saw him since his corning from sea, who do give me the best conversation in general, and as good an account of the particular service of the Prince and my Lord of Sandwich in the late sea-fight that I could desire.  After dinner they parted.  So I to White Hall, where I with Creed and Povy attended my Lord Treasurer, and did prevail with him to let us have an assignment for 15 or L20,000, which, I hope, will do our business for Tangier.  So to Dr. Clerke, and there found that he had broke the business to Sir G. Carteret, and that he takes the thing mighty well.  Thence I to Sir G. Carteret at his chamber, and in the best manner I could, and most obligingly, moved the business:  he received it with great respect and content, and thanks to me, and promised that he would do what he could possibly for his son, to render him fit for my Lord’s daughter, and shewed great kindness to me, and sense of my kindness to him herein.  Sir William Pen told me this day that Mr. Coventry is to be sworn a Privy Counsellor, at which my soul is glad.  So home and to my letters by the post, and so home to supper and bed.

25th (Lord’s day).  Up, and several people about business come to me by appointment relating to the office.  Thence I to my closet about my Tangier papers.  At noon dined, and then I abroad by water, it raining hard, thinking to have gone down to Woolwich, but I did not, but back through bridge to White Hall, where, after I had again visited Sir G. Carteret, and received his (and now his Lady’s) full content in my proposal, I went to my Lord Sandwich, and having told him how Sir G. Carteret received it, he did direct me to return to Sir G. Carteret, and give him thanks for his kind reception of this offer, and that he would the next day be willing to enter discourse with him about the business.  Which message I did presently do, and so left the business with great joy to both sides.  My Lord, I perceive, intends to give L5000 with her, and expects about L800 per annum joynture.  So by water home and to supper and bed, being weary with long walking at Court, but had a Psalm or two with my boy and Mercer before bed, which pleased me mightily.  This night Sir G. Carteret told me with great kindnesse that the order of the Council did run for the making of Hater and Whitfield incapable of any serving the King again, but that he had stopped the entry of it, which he told me with great kindnesse, but the thing troubles me.  After dinner, before I went to White Hall, I went down to Greenwich by water, thinking to have visited Sir J. Lawson, where, when I come, I find that he is dead, and died this morning, at which I was much surprized; and indeed the nation hath a great