Diary, December 1666 | Page 5

in pain about the coach all the way.
But to ease myself therein Betty Michell did sit at the same end with
me . . . . Being very much pleased with this, we at last come home, and
so to supper, and then sent them by boat home, and we to bed. When I
come home I went to Sir W. Batten's, and there I hear more ill newes
still: that all our New England fleete, which went out lately, are put
back a third time by foul weather, and dispersed, some to one port and
some to another; and their convoys also to Plymouth; and whether any

of them be lost or not, we do not know. This, added to all the rest, do
lay us flat in our hopes and courages, every body prophesying
destruction to the nation.

3rd. Up, and, among a great many people that come to speak with me,
one was my Lord Peterborough's gentleman, who comes to me to dun
me to get some money advanced for my Lord; and I demanding what
newes, he tells me that at Court they begin to fear the business of
Scotland more and more; and that the Duke of York intends to go to the
North to raise an army, and that the King would have some of the
Nobility and others to go and assist; but they were so served the last
year, among others his Lord, in raising forces at their own charge, for
fear of the French invading us, that they will not be got out now,
without money advanced to them by the King, and this is like to be the
King's case for certain, if ever he comes to have need of any army. He
and others gone, I by water to Westminster, and there to the Exchequer,
and put my tallys in a way of doing for the last quarter. But my not
following it the last week has occasioned the clerks some trouble,
which I am sorry for, and they are mad at. Thence at noon home, and
there find Kate Joyce, who dined with me: Her husband and she are
weary of their new life of being an Innkeeper, and will leave it, and
would fain get some office; but I know none the foole is fit for, but
would be glad to help them, if I could, though they have enough to live
on, God be thanked! though their loss hath been to the value of L3000
W. Joyce now has all the trade, she says, the trade being come to that
end of the towne. She dined with me, my wife being ill of her months
in bed. I left her with my wife, and away myself to Westminster Hall
by appointment and there found out Burroughs, and I took her by coach
as far as the Lord Treasurer's and called at the cake house by Hales's,
and there in the coach eat and drank and then carried her home . . . . So
having set her down in the palace I to the Swan, and there did the first
time 'baiser' the little sister of Sarah that is come into her place, and so
away by coach home, where to my vyall and supper and then to bed,
being weary of the following of my pleasure and sorry for my omitting
(though with a true salvo to my vowes) the stating my last month's
accounts in time, as I should, but resolve to settle, and clear all my
business before me this month, that I may begin afresh the next yeare,

and enjoy some little pleasure freely at Christmasse. So to bed, and
with more cheerfulness than I have done a good while, to hear that for
certain the Scott rebells are all routed; they having been so bold as to
come within three miles of Edinburgh, and there given two or three
repulses to the King's forces, but at last were mastered. Three or four
hundred killed or taken, among which their leader, one Wallis, and
seven ministers, they having all taken the Covenant a few days before,
and sworn to live and die in it, as they did; and so all is likely to be
there quiet again. There is also the very good newes come of four
New-England ships come home safe to Falmouth with masts for the
King; which is a blessing mighty unexpected, and without which, if for
nothing else, we must have failed the next year. But God be praised for
thus much good fortune, and send us the continuance of his favour in
other things! So to bed.

4th. Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning. At noon dined
at home. After dinner