Diary, Apr/May 1664 | Page 5

find it is not hard and very usefull, and
thence to Woolwich, and after seeing Mr. Falconer, who is very ill, I to
the yard, and there heard Mr. Pett tell me several things of Sir W.
Batten's ill managements, and so with Sir W. Warren walked to
Greenwich, having good discourse, and thence by water, it being now
moonshine and 9 or 10 o'clock at night, and landed at Wapping, and by
him and his man safely brought to my door, and so he home, having
spent the day with him very well. So home and eat something, and then
to my office a while, and so home to prayers and to bed.

3rd (Lord's day). Being weary last night lay long, and called up by W.
Joyce. So I rose, and his business was to ask advice of me, he being

summonsed to the House of Lords to-morrow, for endeavouring to
arrest my Lady Peters
[Elizabeth, daughter of John Savage, second Earl Rivers, and first wife
to William, fourth Lord Petre, who was, in 1678, impeached by the
Commons of high treason, and died under confinement in the Tower,
January 5th, 1683, s. p.--B.]
for a debt. I did give him advice, and will assist him. He staid all the
morning, but would not dine with me. So to my office and did business.
At noon home to dinner, and being set with my wife in the kitchen my
father comes and sat down there and dined with us. After dinner gives
me an account of what he had done in his business of his house and
goods, which is almost finished, and he the next week expects to be
going down to Brampton again, which I am glad of because I fear the
children of my Lord that are there for fear of any discontent. He being
gone I to my office, and there very busy setting papers in order till late
at night, only in the afternoon my wife sent for me home, to see her
new laced gowne, that is her gown that is new laced; and indeed it
becomes her very nobly, and is well made. I am much pleased with it.
At night to supper, prayers, and to bed.

4th. Up, and walked to my Lord Sandwich's; and there spoke with him
about W. Joyce, who told me he would do what was fit in so tender a
point. I can yet discern a coldness in him to admit me to any discourse
with him. Thence to Westminster, to the Painted Chamber, and there
met the two Joyces. Will in a very melancholy taking. After a little
discourse I to the Lords' House before they sat; and stood within it a
good while, while the Duke of York came to me and spoke to me a
good while about the new ship' at Woolwich. Afterwards I spoke with
my Lord Barkeley and my Lord Peterborough about it. And so staid
without a good while, and saw my Lady Peters, an impudent jade,
soliciting all the Lords on her behalf. And at last W. Joyce was called
in; and by the consequences, and what my Lord Peterborough told me,
I find that he did speak all he said to his disadvantage, and so was
committed to the Black Rod: which is very hard, he doing what he did
by the advice of my Lord Peters' own steward. But the Sergeant of the
Black Rod did direct one of his messengers to take him in custody, and
so he was peaceably conducted to the Swan with two Necks, in Tuttle

Street, to a handsome dining-room; and there was most civilly used, my
uncle Fenner, and his brother Anthony, and some other friends being
with him. But who would have thought that the fellow that I should
have sworn could have spoken before all the world should in this be so
daunted, as not to know what he said, and now to cry like a child. I
protest, it is very strange to observe. I left them providing for his stay
there to-night and getting a petition against tomorrow, and so away to
Westminster Hall, and meeting Mr. Coventry, he took me to his
chamber, with Sir William Hickeman, a member of their House, and a
very civill gentleman. Here we dined very plentifully, and thence to
White Hall to the Duke's, where we all met, and after some discourse of
the condition of the Fleete, in order to a Dutch warr, for that, I perceive,
the Duke hath a mind it should come to, we away to the office, where
we sat, and I took care to rise betimes, and so by water to Halfway
House, talking all the way good discourse with Mr. Wayth,