Diary, December 1668 | Page 9

to bed. I hear this day that there is
fallen down a new house, not quite finished, in Lumbard Street, and
that there have been several so, they making use of bad mortar and
bricks; but no hurt yet, as God hath ordered it. This day was brought
home my pair of black coach-horses, the first I ever was master of.
They cost me L50, and are a fine pair.

13th (Lord's day). Up, and with W. Hewer to the Office, where all the
morning, and then home to a little dinner, and presently to it again all
alone till twelve at night, drawing up my answer to Middleton, which I
think I shall do to very good purpose--at least, I satisfy myself therein;
and so to bed, weary with walking in my Office dictating to him
[Hewer]. In the night my wife very ill, vomited, but was well again by
and by.

14th. Up, and by water to White Hall to a Committee of Tangier, where,
among other things, a silly account of a falling out between Norwood,
at Tangier, and Mr. Bland, the mayor, who is fled to Cales [Cadiz]. His
complaint is ill-worded, and the other's defence the most ridiculous that
ever I saw; and so everybody else that was there, thought it; but never
did I see so great an instance of the use of grammar, and knowledge
how to tell a man's tale as this day, Bland having spoiled his business
by ill-telling it, who had work to have made himself notorious by his
mastering Norwood, his enemy, if he had known how to have used it.
Thence calling Smith, the Auditor's clerk at the Temple, I by the
Exchange home, and there looked over my Tangier accounts with him,
and so to dinner, and then set him down again by a hackney, my

coachman being this day about breaking of my horses to the coach,
they having never yet drawn. Left my wife at Unthank's, and I to the
Treasury, where we waited on the Lords Commissioners about Sir D.
Gawden's matters, and so took her up again at night, and home to the
office, and so home with W. Hewer, and to talk about our quarrel with
Middleton, and so to supper and to bed. This day I hear, and am glad,
that the King hath prorogued the Parliament to October next; and,
among other reasons, it will give me time to go to France, I hope.

15th. Up, and to the Office, where sat all the morning, and the new
Treasurers there; and, for my life, I cannot keep Sir J. Minnes and
others of the Board from shewing our weakness, to the dishonour of the
Board, though I am not concerned but it do vex me to the heart to have
it before these people, that would be glad to find out all our weaknesses.
At noon Mrs. Mary Batelier with us, and so, after dinner, I with W.
Hewer all the afternoon till night beginning to draw up our answer to
Middleton, and it proves troublesome, because I have so much in my
head at a time to say, but I must go through with it. So at night to
supper and to bed.

16th. I did the like all day long, only a little at dinner, and so to work
again, and were at it till 2 in the morning, and so W. Hewer, who was
with me all day, home to his lodging, and I to bed, after we had
finished it.

17th. Up, and set my man Gibson and Mr. Fists to work to write it over
fair, while I all the morning at the office sitting. At noon home to them,
and all the afternoon looking over them and examining with W. Hewer,
and so about to at night I to bed, leaving them to finish the writing it
fair, which they did by sitting up most of the night, and so home to bed.

18th. All the morning at the office about Sir W. Warren's accounts, my
mind full of my business, having before we met gone to Lord
Brouncker, and got him to read over my paper, who owns most
absolute content in it, and the advantage I have in it, and the folly of the
Surveyor. At noon home to dinner; and then again to the office a while,
and so by hackney coach to Brooke House, and there spoke with

Colonel Thomson, I by order carrying them [the Commissioners of
Accounts] our Contract-books, from the beginning to the end of the late
war. I found him finding of errors in a ship's book, where he shewed
me many, which must end in the ruin, I doubt, of the