28th.  So by coach with Mr. Gibson to Chancery Lane, and there made oath before a Master of Chancery to the Tangier account of fees, and so to White Hall, where, by and by, a Committee met, my Lord Sandwich there, but his report was not received, it being late; but only a little business done, about the supplying the place with victuals.  But I did get, to my great content, my account allowed of fees, with great applause by my Lord Ashly and Sir W. Pen.  Thence home, calling at one or two places; and there about our workmen, who are at work upon my wife’s closet, and other parts of my house, that we are all in dirt.  So after dinner with Mr. Gibson all the afternoon in my closet, and at night to supper and to bed, my wife and I at good peace, but yet with some little grudgings of trouble in her and more in me about the poor girle.

29th.  At the office all the morning, where Mr. Wren first tells us of the 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