Diary, Apr/May 1668 | Page 6

only Mr. Sheres being taken suddenly ill for a
while, did spoil our mirth; but by and by was well again, and we
mighty merry: and so broke up, and left him at Charing Cross, and so
calling only at my cozen Turner's, away home, mightily pleased with
the day's work, and this day come another new mayd, for a middle
mayd, but her name I know not yet; and, for a cookmaid, we have, ever
since Bridget went, used a blackmoore of Mr. Batelier's, Doll, who
dresses our meat mighty well, and we mightily pleased with her. So by
and by to bed.

6th. Up, and to the Office, and thence to the Excise Office about some
business, and so back to the office and sat till late, end thence to Mr.
Batelier's to dinner, where my cozen Turner and both her daughters,
and Talbot Pepys and my wife, and a mighty fine dinner. They at
dinner before I come; and, when I had dined, I away home, and thence
to White Hall, where the Board waited on the Duke of York to
discourse about the disposing of Sir Thomas Allen's fleete, which is
newly come home to Portsmouth; and here Middleton and I did in plain
terms acquaint the Duke of York what we thought and had observed in
the late Court-martiall, which the Duke did give ear to; and though he
thinks not fit to revoke what is already done in this case by a
Court-martiall, yet it shall bring forth some good laws in the behaviour
of Captains to their under Officers for the time to come. Thence home,
and there, after a while at the Office, I home, and there come home my
wife, who hath been with Batelier's late, and been dancing with the
company, at which I seemed a little troubled, not being sent for thither

myself, but I was not much so, but went to bed well enough pleased.

7th. Up, and by coach to my cozen Turner's, and invited them to dine at
the Cocke to-day, with my wife and me; and so to the Lords of the
Treasury, where all the morning, and settled matters to their liking
about the assignments on the Customes, between the Navy Office and
Victualler, and to that end spent most of the morning there with D.
Gawden, and thence took him to the Cocke, and there left him and my
clerk Gibson together evening their reckonings, while I to the New
Exchange to talk with Betty, my little sempstress; and so to Mrs.
Turner's, to call them to dinner, but my wife not come, I back again,
and was overtaken by a porter, with a message from my wife that she
was ill, and could not come to us: so I back again to Mrs. Turner's, and
find them gone; and so back again to the Cocke, and there find Mr:
Turner, Betty, and Talbot Pepys, and they dined with myself Sir D.
Gawden and Gibson, and mighty merry, this house being famous for
good meat, and particularly pease- porridge and after dinner broke up,
and they away; and I to the Council- Chamber, and there heard the
great complaint of the City, tried against the gentlemen of the Temple,
for the late riot, as they would have it, when my Lord Mayor was there.
But, upon hearing the whole business, the City was certainly to blame
to charge them in this manner as with a riot: but the King and Council
did forbear to determine any thing it, till the other business of the title
and privilege be decided which is now under dispute at law between
them, whether Temple be within the liberty of the City or no. But I,
sorry to see the City so ill advised as to complain in a thing where their
proofs were so weak. Thence to my cousin Turner's, and thence with
her and her daughters, and her sister Turner, I carrying Betty in my lap,
to Talbot's chamber at the Temple, where, by agreement, the poor
rogue had a pretty dish of anchovies and sweetmeats for them; and
hither come Mr. Eden, who was in his mistress's disfavour ever since
the other night that he come in thither fuddled, when we were there.
But I did make them friends by my buffoonery, and bringing up a way
of spelling their names, and making Theophila spell Lamton, which
The. would have to be the name of Mr. Eden's mistress, and mighty
merry we were till late, and then I by coach home, and so to bed, my
wife being ill of those, but well enough pleased with my being with

them. This day I do hear that Betty Turner is to be left at school at