102 CHARLES II. 
With such slight interest on the part of those at the head 
of affairs, it is not surprising to find that the society was 
so unfortunate in its undertakings that, in a short time, 
various methods of subsidising it had to be adopted. The 
first proposal was that money should be raised for its sup- 
port by giving it the monopoly of coining farthings. To 
this proposal Pepys consented readily enough. A second 
proposal, however, that the funds of the company should 
be increased by the establishment of lotteries to be ad- 
ministered on its behalf, was viewed by him with indignation ; 
“IT was ashamed to see it,” he writes, “ that a thing so low 
and base should have anything to do with so noble an 
undertaking.” 1 In spite of his opposition, however, pro- 
clamation was made on June 21st, 1665, when the disastrous 
Dutch war had greatly increased the necessity of the 
company, forbidding any persons to use or exercise lotteries 
in Great Britain or Ireland, except Sir Anthony Desmarces 
and four others, to whom the sole right of managing them 
was granted, in order that they might raise a stock for 
the Royal Fishery Company.? 
Meanwhile, an attempt had been made to reach those 
counties of England which had not responded to the king’s 
appeal when the first collection for the fishery had been 
made in 1662. This second collection was completed 
in 1664, when Samuel Pepys, along with George Duke, 
secretary to the Royal Fishery, was deputed to make a report 
upon the result. It is in connection with his inquiry into 
this collection that Pepys writes in his Diary under date 
October 10th, 1664: ‘‘ To the office, and there late, and so 
home to supper and to bed, having at up till past twelve at 
night to look over the accounts of the collection for the 
fishery, and the loose and base manner that monies so 
1 Pepys’ Diary, September 13th, November 18th, December 3rd, 1664. 
2 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car, II., vol. 124, No, 142. 
3 Ibid. vol. 103, No. 130. 
