Diary, December 1668 | Page 5

to say what I otherwise would have thought fit for me to
say on this occasion, upon so impertinent a speech as this doting fool
made--but, I say, I let it alone, and contented myself that it went as I
advised, as to the Duke of York's judgment, in the thing disputed. And
so thence away, my coach meeting me there and carrying me to several
places to do little jobs, which is a mighty convenience, and so home,
where by invitation I find my aunt Wight, who looked over all our
house, and is mighty pleased with it, and indeed it is now mighty
handsome, and rich in furniture. By and by comes my uncle, and then
to dinner, where a venison pasty and very merry, and after dinner I
carried my wife and her to Smithfield, where they sit in the coach,
while Mr. Pickering, who meets me there, and I, and W. Hewer, and a
friend of his, a jockey, did go about to see several pairs of horses, for
my coach; but it was late, and we agreed on none, but left it to another
time: but here I do see instances of a piece of craft and cunning that I

never dreamed of, concerning the buying and choosing of horses. So
Mr. Pickering, to whom I am much beholden for his kindness herein,
and I parted; and I with my people home, where I left them, and I to the
office, to meet about some business of Sir W. Warren's accounts, where
I vexed to see how ill all the Comptroller's business is likely to go on,
so long as ever Sir J. Minnes lives; and so troubled I was, that I thought
it a good occasion for me to give my thoughts of it in writing, and
therefore wrote a letter at the Board, by the help of a tube, to Lord
Brouncker, and did give it him, which I kept a copy of, and it may be of
use to me hereafter to shew, in this matter. This being done, I home to
my aunt, who supped with us, and my uncle also: and a good-humoured
woman she is, so that I think we shall keep her acquaintance; but
mighty proud she is of her wedding-ring, being lately set with
diamonds; cost her about L12: and I did commend it mightily to her,
but do not think it very suitable for one of our quality. After supper
they home, and we to bed.

5th. Up, after a little talk with my wife, which troubled me, she being
ever since our late difference mighty watchful of sleep and dreams, and
will not be persuaded but I do dream of Deb., and do tell me that I
speak in my dreams and that this night I did cry, Huzzy, and it must be
she, and now and then I start otherwise than I used to do, she says,
which I know not, for I do not know that I dream of her more than
usual, though I cannot deny that my thoughts waking do run now and
then against my will and judgment upon her, for that only is wanting to
undo me, being now in every other thing as to my mind most happy,
and may still be so but for my own fault, if I be catched loving any
body but my wife again. So up and to the office, and at noon to dinner,
and thence to office, where late, mighty busy, and despatching much
business, settling papers in my own office, and so home to supper, and
to bed. No news stirring, but that my Lord of Ormond is likely to go to
Ireland again, which do shew that the Duke of Buckingham do not rule
all so absolutely; and that, however, we shall speedily have more
changes in the Navy: and it is certain that the Nonconformists do now
preach openly in houses, in many places, and among others the house
that was heretofore Sir G. Carteret's, in Leadenhall Streete, and have
ready access to the King. And now the great dispute is, whether this

Parliament or another; and my great design, if I continue in the Navy, is
to get myself to be a Parliament- man.

6th (Lord's day). Up, and with my wife to church; which pleases me
mightily, I being full of fear that she would never go to church again,
after she had declared to me that she was a Roman Catholique. But
though I do verily think she fears God, and is truly and sincerely
righteous, yet I do see she is not so strictly so a Catholique as not to go
to church with me, which pleases me mightily. Here Mills made a lazy