Diary, Jul/Aug 1662 | Page 7

I with him. Dined at home, and so to the office again, my wife with me,
and while I was for an hour making a hole behind my seat in my closet
to look into the office, she was talking to me about her going to
Brampton, which I would willingly have her to do but for the cost of it,
and to stay here will be very inconvenient because of the dirt that I
must have when my house is pulled down. Then to my business till
night, then Mr. Cooper and I to our business, and then came Mr. Mills,
the minister, to see me, which he hath but rarely done to me, though
every day almost to others of us; but he is a cunning fellow, and knows
where the good victuals is, and the good drink, at Sir W. Batten's.
However, I used him civilly, though I love him as I do the rest of his
coat. So to supper and to bed.

10th. Up by four o'clock, and before I went to the office I practised my
arithmetique, and then, when my wife was up, did call her and Sarah,
and did make up a difference between them, for she is so good a
servant as I am loth to part with her. So to the office all the morning,
where very much business, but it vexes me to see so much disorder at
our table, that, every man minding a several business, we dispatch
nothing. Dined at home with my wife, then to the office again, and
being called by Sir W. Batten, walked to the Victualler's office, there to
view all the several offices and houses to see that they were employed
in order to give the Council an account thereof. So after having taken
an oath or two of Mr. Lewes and Captain Brown and others I returned
to the office, and there sat despatching several businesses alone till
night, and so home and by daylight to bed.

11th. Up by four o'clock, and hard at my multiplicacion-table, which I

am now almost master of, and so made me ready and to my office,
where by and by comes Mr. Pett, and then a messenger from Mr.
Coventry, who stays in his boat at the Tower for us. So we to him, and
down to Deptford first, and there viewed some deals lately served in at
a low price, which our officers, like knaves, would untruly value in
their worth, but we found them good. Then to Woolwich, and viewed
well all the houses and stores there, which lie in very great confusion
for want of storehouses, and then to Mr. Ackworth's and Sheldon's to
view their books, which we found not to answer the King's service and
security at all as to the stores. Then to the Ropeyard, and there viewed
the hemp, wherein we found great corruption, and then saw a trial
between Sir R. Ford's yarn and our own, and found great odds. So by
water back again. About five in the afternoon to Whitehall, and so to St.
James's; and at Mr. Coventry's chamber, which is very neat and fine,
we had a pretty neat dinner, and after dinner fell to discourse of
business and regulation, and do think of many things that will put
matters into better order, and upon the whole my heart rejoices to see
Mr. Coventry so ingenious, and able, and studious to do good, and with
much frankness and respect to Mr. Pett and myself particularly. About
9 o'clock we broke up after much discourse and many things agreed on
in order to our business of regulation, and so by water (landing Mr. Pett
at the Temple) I went home and to bed.

12th. Up by five o'clock, and put things in my house in order to be laid
up, against my workmen come on Monday to take down the top of my
house, which trouble I must go through now, but it troubles me much to
think of it. So to my office, where till noon we sat, and then I to dinner
and to the office all the afternoon with much business. At night with
Cooper at arithmetique, and then came Mr. Creed about my Lord's
accounts to even them, and he gone I to supper and to bed.

13th (Lord's day) . . . . I had my old pain all yesterday and this morning,
and so kept my bed all this morning. So up and after dinner and some
of my people to church, I set about taking down my books and papers
and making my chamber fit against to-morrow to have the people come
to work in pulling down the top of my house. In