Diary, Apr/May 1661 | Page 8

asked
women whether they would sell me their children, but they denied me
all, but said they would give me one to keep for them, if I would. Mrs.
Anne and I rode under the man that hangs upon Shooter's Hill,
[Shooter's Hill, Kent, between the eighth and ninth milestones on the
Dover road. It was long a notorious haunt of highwaymen. The custom
was to leave the bodies of criminals hanging until the bones fell to the
ground.]
and a filthy sight it was to see how his flesh is shrunk to his bones. So
home and I found all well, and a deal of work done since I went. I sent
to see how my wife do, who is well, and my brother John come from
Cambridge. To Sir W. Batten's and there supped, and very merry with
the young ladles. So to bed very sleepy for last night's work,
concluding that it is the pleasantest journey in all respects that ever I
had in my life.

12th. Up among my workmen, and about 7 o'clock comes my wife to
see me and my brother John with her, who I am glad to see, but I sent
them away because of going to the office, and there dined with Sir W.
Batten, all fish dinner, it being Good Friday. Then home and looking
over my workmen, and then into the City and saw in what forwardness
all things are for the Coronacion, which will be very magnificent. Then
back again home and to my chamber, to set down in my diary all my
late journey, which I do with great pleasure; and while I am now
writing comes one with a tickett to invite me to Captain Robert Blake's
buriall, for whose death I am very sorry, and do much wonder at it, he
being a little while since a very likely man to live as any I knew. Since
my going out of town, there is one Alexander Rosse taken and sent to
the Counter by Sir Thomas Allen, for counterfeiting my hand to a ticket,
and we this day at the office have given order to Mr. Smith to prosecute
him. To bed.

13th. To Whitehall by water from Towre-wharf, where we could not
pass the ordinary way, because they were mending of the great stone
steps against the Coronacion. With Sir W. Pen, then to my Lord's, and

thence with Capt. Cuttance and Capt. Clark to drink our morning
draught together, and before we could get back again my Lord was
gone out. So to Whitehall again and, met with my Lord above with the
Duke; and after a little talk with him, I went to the Banquethouse, and
there saw the King heal, the first time that ever I saw him do it; which
he did with great gravity, and it seemed to me to be an ugly office and a
simple one. That done to my Lord's and dined there, and so by water
with parson Turner towards London, and upon my telling of him of Mr.
Moore to be a fit man to do his business with Bishop Wren, about
which he was going, he went back out of my boat into another to
Whitehall, and so I forwards home and there by and by took coach with
Sir W. Pen and Captain Terne and went to the buriall of Captain Robert
Blake, at Wapping, and there had each of us a ring, but it being dirty,
we would not go to church with them, but with our coach we returned
home, and there staid a little, and then he and I alone to the Dolphin
(Sir W. Batten being this day gone with his wife to Walthamstow to
keep Easter), and there had a supper by ourselves, we both being very
hungry, and staying there late drinking I became very sleepy, and so we
went home and I to bed.

14th (Easter. Lord's day). In the morning towards my father's, and by
the way heard Mr. Jacomb, at Ludgate, upon these words, "Christ loved
you and therefore let us love one another," and made a lazy sermon,
like a Presbyterian. Then to my father's and dined there, and Dr.
Fairbrother (lately come to town) with us. After dinner I went to the
Temple and there heard Dr. Griffith, a good sermon for the day; so with
Mr. Moore (whom I met there) to my Lord's, and there he shewed me a
copy of my Lord Chancellor's patent for Earl, and I read the preamble,
which is very short, modest, and good. Here my Lord saw us and spoke
to me about getting Mr. Moore to come and govern his house while he
goes to sea, which I promised him