Diary, August 1668 | Page 5

for him, I at last
grew impatient, and would stay no longer; but to St. James's to Mr.
Wren, to bid him "God be with you!" and so over the water to Fox Hall;
and there my wife and Deb. come and took me up, and we away to
Gilford, losing our way for three or four mile, about Cobham. At
Gilford we dined; and, I shewed them the hospitall there of Bishop
Abbot's, and his tomb in the church, which, and the rest of the tombs
there, are kept mighty clean and neat, with curtains before them. So to
coach again, and got to Lippock,2 late over Hindhead, having an old
man, a guide, in the coach with us; but got thither with great fear of

being out of our way, it being ten at night. Here good, honest people;
and after supper, to bed . . . .

7th. Up, and to coach, and with a guide to Petersfield, where I find Sir
Thomas Allen and Mr. Tippets come; the first about the business, the
latter only in respect to me; as also Fitzgerald, who come post all last
night, and newly arrived here. We four sat down presently to our
business, and in an hour despatched all our talk; and did inform Sir
Thomas Allen well in it, who, I perceive, in serious matters, is a serious
man: and tells me he wishes all we are told be true, in our defence; for
he finds by all, that the Turks have, to this day, been very civil to our
merchant-men everywhere; and, if they would have broke with us, they
never had such an opportunity over our rich merchant-men, as lately,
coming out of the Streights. Then to dinner, and pretty merry: and here
was Mr. Martin, the purser, and dined with us, and wrote some things
for us. And so took coach again back; Fitzgerald with us, whom I was
pleased with all the day, with his discourse of his observations abroad,
as being a great soldier and of long standing abroad: and knows all
things and persons abroad very well--I mean, the great soldiers of
France, and Spain, and Germany; and talks very well. Come at night to
Gilford, where the Red Lyon so full of people, and a wedding, that the
master of the house did get us a lodging over the way, at a private
house, his landlord's, mighty neat and fine; and there supped and talked
with the landlord and his wife: and so to bed with great content, only
Fitzgerald lay at the Inne. So to bed.

8th. Up, and I walked out, and met Uncle Wight, whom I sent to last
night, and Mr. Wight coming to see us, and I walked with them back to
see my aunt at Katherine Hill, and there walked up and down the hill
and places, about: but a dull place, but good ayre, and the house dull.
But here I saw my aunt, after many days not seeing her--I think, a year
or two; and she walked with me to see my wife. And here, at the Red
Lyon, we all dined together, and mighty merry, and then parted: and we
home to Fox Hall, where Fitzgerald and I 'light, and by water to White
Hall, where the Duke of York being abroad, I by coach and met my
wife, who went round, and after doing at the office a little, and finding
all well at home, I to bed. I hear that Colbert,

[Charles Colbert, Marquis de Croissy, brother of Jean Baptiste Colbert,
the great minister.--B.--(Who knew enough not to flaunt his greatness
as did his predecessor Fouguet.--D.W.)]
the French Ambassador, is come, and hath been at Court incognito.
When he hath his audience, I know not.

9th (Lord's day). Up, and walked to Holborne, where got John Powell's
coach at the Black Swan, and he attended me at St. James's, where
waited on the Duke of York: and both by him and several of the
Privy-Council, beyond expectation, I find that my going to Sir Thomas
Allen was looked upon as a thing necessary: and I have got some
advantage by it, among them. Thence to White Hall, and thence to visit
Lord Brouncker, and back to White Hall, where saw the Queen and
ladies; and so, with Mr. Slingsby, to Mrs. Williams's, thinking to dine
with Lord Brouncker there, but did not, having promised my wife to
come home, though here I met Knepp, to my great content. So home;
and, after dinner, I took my wife and Deb. round by Hackney, and up
and down to take the ayre; and then home, and made visits to Mrs.
Turner, and Mrs. Mercer, and Sir W. Pen, who is come