Diary, 1663 N.S. Complete | Page 9

Sir W. Batten after they had signed them and were
gone, and so sat talking together till 11 o'clock at night, and so home
and to bed.

11th (Lord's day). Lay long talking pleasant with my wife, then up and
to church, the pew being quite full with strangers come along with Sir
W. Batten and Sir J. Minnes, so after a pitifull sermon of the young
Scott, home to dinner. After dinner comes a footman of my Lord
Sandwich's (my Lord being come to town last night) with a letter from
my father, in which he presses me to carry on the business for Tom
with his late mistress, which I am sorry to see my father do, it being so
much out of our power or for his advantage, as it is clear to me it is,
which I shall think of and answer in my next. So to my office all the
afternoon writing orders myself to have ready against to-morrow, that I
might not appear negligent to Mr. Coventry. In the evening to Sir W.
Pen's, where Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten, and afterwards came Sir
G. Carteret. There talked about business, and afterwards to Sir W.
Batten's, where we staid talking and drinking Syder, and so I went
away to my office a little, and so home and to bed.

12th. Up, and to Sir W. Batten's to bid him and Sir J. Minnes adieu,
they going this day towards Portsmouth, and then to Sir W. Pen's to see
Sir J. Lawson, who I heard was there, where I found him the same plain
man that he was, after all his success in the Straights, with which he is
come loaded home. Thence to Sir G. Carteret, and with him in his
coach to White Hall, and first I to see my Lord Sandwich (being come
now from Hinchingbrooke), and after talking a little with him, he and I
to the Duke's chamber, where Mr. Coventry and he and I into the
Duke's closett and Sir J. Lawson discoursing upon business of the Navy,
and particularly got his consent to the ending some difficulties in Mr.
Creed's accounts. Thence to my Lord's lodgings, and with Mr. Creed to

the King's Head ordinary, but people being set down, we went to two or
three places; at last found some meat at a Welch cook's at Charing
Cross, and here dined and our boys. After dinner to the 'Change to buy
some linen for my wife, and going back met our two boys. Mine had
struck down Creed's boy in the dirt, with his new suit on, and the boy
taken by a gentlewoman into a house to make clean, but the poor boy
was in a pitifull taking and pickle; but I basted my rogue soundly.
Thence to my Lord's lodging, and Creed to his, for his papers against
the Committee. I found my Lord within, and he and I went out through
the garden towards the Duke's chamber, to sit upon the Tangier matters;
but a lady called to my Lord out of my Lady Castlemaine's lodging,
telling him that the King was there and would speak with him. My Lord
could not tell what to bid me say at the Committee to excuse his
absence, but that he was with the King; nor would suffer me to go into
the Privy Garden (which is now a through- passage, and common), but
bid me to go through some other way, which I did; so that I see he is a
servant of the King's pleasures too, as well as business. So I went to the
Committee, where we spent all this night attending to Sir J. Lawson's
description of Tangier and the place for the Mole,
[The construction of this Mole or breakwater turned out a very costly
undertaking. In April, 1663, it was found that the charge for one year's
work was L13,000. In March, 1665, L36,000 had been spent upon it.
The wind and sea exerted a very destructive influence over this
structure, although it was very strongly built, and Colonel Norwood
reported in 1668 that a breach had been made in the Mole, which cost a
considerable sum to repair.]
of which he brought a very pretty draught. Concerning the making of
the Mole, Mr. Cholmely did also discourse very well, having had some
experience in it. Being broke up, I home by coach to Mr. Bland's, and
there discoursed about sending away of the merchant ship which hangs
so long on hand for Tangier. So to my Lady Batten's, and sat with her
awhile, Sir W. Batten being gone out of town; but I did it out of design
to get some oranges for my feast to-morrow of