Diary, April 1668 | Page 5

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to the building of a College, and did give L40; and several others did
subscribe, some greater and some less sums; but several I saw hang off:
and I doubt it will spoil the Society, for it breeds faction and ill-will,
and becomes burdensome to some that cannot, or would not, do it. Here,
to my great content, I did try the use of the Otacousticon,--[Ear
trumpet.]--which was only a great glass bottle broke at the bottom,
putting the neck to my eare, and there I did plainly hear the dashing of
the oares of the boats in the Thames to Arundell gallery window, which,
without it, I could not in the least do, and may, I believe, be improved
to a great height, which I am mighty glad of. Thence with Lord
Brouncker and several of them to the King's Head Taverne by
Chancery Lane, and there did drink and eat and talk, and, above the rest,
I did hear of Mr. Hooke and my Lord an account of the reason of
concords and discords in musique, which they say is from the equality
of vibrations; but I am not satisfied in it, but will at my leisure think of
it more, and see how far that do go to explain it. So late at night home
with Mr. Colwell, and parted, and I to the office, and then to Sir W. Pen

to confer with him, and Sir R. Ford and Young, about our St. John
Baptist prize, and so home, without more supper to bed, my family
being now little by the departure of my wife and two maids.

3rd. Up, and Captain Perryman come to me to tell me how Tatnell told
him that this day one How is to charge me before the Commissioners of
Prizes to the value of L8000 in prizes, which I was troubled to hear, so
fearful I am, though I know that there is not a penny to be laid to my
charge that I dare not own, or that I have not owned under my hand, but
upon recollection it signifies nothing to me, and so I value it not, being
sure that I can have nothing in the world to my hurt known from the
business. So to the office, where all the morning to despatch business,
and so home to dinner with my clerks, whose company is of great
pleasure to me for their good discourse in any thing of the navy I have a
mind to talk of. After dinner by water from the Tower to White Hall,
there to attend the Duke of York as usual, and particularly in a fresh
complaint the Commissioners of the Treasury do make to him, and by
and by to the Council this day of our having prepared certificates on the
Exchequer to the further sum of near L50,000, and soon as we had done
with the Duke of York we did attend the Council; and were there called
in, and did hear Mr. Sollicitor [General] make his Report to the Council
in the business; which he did in a most excellent manner of words, but
most cruelly severe against us, and so were some of the Lords
Commissioners of the Treasury, as men guilty of a practice with the
tradesmen, to the King's prejudice. I was unwilling to enter into a
contest with them; but took advantage of two or three words last spoke,
and brought it to a short issue in good words, that if we had the King's
order to hold our hands, we would, which did end the matter: and they
all resolved we should have it, and so it ended: and so we away; I
vexed that I did not speak more in a cause so fit to be spoke in, and
wherein we had so much advantage; but perhaps I might have provoked
the Sollicitor and the Commissioners of the Treasury, and therefore,
since, I am not sorry that I forbore. Thence my Lord Brouncker and I to
the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw the latter part of "The
Master and the Man," and thence by coach to Duck Lane, to look out
for Marsanne, in French, a man that has wrote well of musique, but it is
not to be had, but I have given order for its being sent for over, and I

did here buy Des Cartes his little treatise of musique, and so home, and
there to read a little, and eat a little, though I find that my having so
little taste do make me so far neglect eating that, unless company invite,
I do not love to spend time upon eating, and so bring emptiness and the
Cholique. So to bed. This day I hear