with this new Treasurer before the King in taking away
the business of the Victualling money from his hand,
and the Regiment, and declaring that he hath no right
to the 3d. per by his patent, for that it was always
heretofore given by particular Privy Seal, and that
the King and Council just upon his coming in had declared
L2000 a year sufficient. This makes him angry,
but Sir W. Coventry I perceive cares not, but do every
day hold up his head higher and higher, and this day
I have received an order from the Commissioners of
the Treasury to pay no more pensions for Tangier,
which I am glad of, and he tells me they do make bold
with all things of that kind. Thence I to White
Hall, and in the street I spied Mrs. Borroughs, and
took a means to meet and salute her and talk a little,
and then parted, and I home by coach, taking up my
wife at the Exchange, and there I am mightily pleased
with this Mrs. Smith, being a very pleasant woman.
So home, and resolved upon going to Epsum tomorrow,
only for ayre, and got Mrs. Turner to go with us, and
so home and to supper (after having been at the office)
and to bed. It is an odd and sad thing to say,
that though this be a peace worse than we had before,
yet every body’s fear almost is, that the Dutch
will not stand by their promise, now the King hath
consented to all they would have. And yet no
wise man that I meet with, when he comes to think of
it, but wishes, with all his heart, a war; but that
the King is not a man to be trusted with the management
of it. It was pleasantly said by a man in this
City, a stranger, to one that told him that the peace
was concluded, “Well,” says he, “and
have you a peace?”—“Yes,”
says the other.—“Why, then,”
says he, “hold your peace!” partly reproaching
us with the disgracefulness of it, that it is not
fit to be mentioned; and next, that we are not able
to make the Dutch keep it, when they have a mind to
break it. Sir Thomas Crew yesterday, speaking
of the King of France, how great a man he is, why,
says he, all the world thought that when the last Pope
died, there would have been such bandying between
the Crowns of France and Spain, whereas, when he was
asked what he would have his ministers at Rome do,
why, says he, let them choose who they will; if the
Pope will do what is fit, the Pope and I will be friends.
If he will not, I will take a course with him:
therefore, I will not trouble myself; and thereupon
the election was despatched in a little time—I
think in a day, and all ended.
[Of Clement ix.,
Giulio Rispogliosi, elected June 20th, 1667, N.S.
He was succeeded by
Clement X. in 1670.]