Diary, Jun/Jul 1664 | Page 5

supper and bed, being now in constant pain
in my back, but whether it be only wind or what it is the Lord knows,
but I fear the worst.

3rd. Up, still in a constant pain in my back, which much afflicts me
with fear of the consequence of it. All the morning at the office, we sat
at the office extraordinary upon the business of our stores, but, Lord!
what a pitiful account the Surveyor makes of it grieves my heart. This
morning before I came out I made a bargain with Captain Taylor for a
ship for the Commissioners for Tangier, wherein I hope to get L40 or
L50. To the 'Change, and thence home and dined, and then by coach to

White Hall, sending my wife to Mrs. Hunt's. At the Committee for
Tangier all the afternoon, where a sad consideration to see things of so
great weight managed in so confused a manner as it is, so as I would
not have the buying of an acre of land bought by the Duke of York and
Mr. Coventry, for ought I see, being the only two that do anything like
men; Prince Rupert do nothing but swear and laugh a little, with an
oathe or two, and that's all he do. Thence called my wife and home, and
I late at my office, and so home to supper and to bed, pleased at my
hopes of gains by to-day's work, but very sad to think of the state of my
health.

4th. Up and to St. James's by coach, after a good deal of talk before I
went forth with J. Noble, who tells me that he will secure us against
Cave, that though he knows, and can prove it, yet nobody else can
prove it, to be Tom's child; that the bond was made by one Hudson, a
scrivener, next to the Fountaine taverne, in the Old Bayly; that the
children were born, and christened, and entered in the parish-book of St.
Sepulchre's, by the name of Anne and Elizabeth Taylor and he will give
us security against Cave if we pay him the money. And then up to the
Duke, and was with him giving him an account how matters go, and of
the necessity there is of a power to presse seamen, without which we
cannot really raise men for this fleete of twelve sayle, besides that it
will assert the King's power of pressing, which at present is somewhat
doubted, and will make the Dutch believe that we are in earnest.
Thence by water to the office, where we sat till almost two o'clock.
This morning Captain Ferrer came to the office to tell me that my Lord
hath given him a promise of Young's place in the Wardrobe, and
hearing that I pretend a promise to it he comes to ask my consent,
which I denied him, and told him my Lord may do what he pleases
with his promise to me, but my father's condition is not so as that I
should let it go if my Lord will stand to his word, and so I sent him
going, myself being troubled a little at it. After office I with Mr.
Coventry by water to St. James's and dined with him, and had excellent
discourse from him. So to the Committee for Tangier all afternoon,
where still the same confused doings, and my Lord Fitz-Harding now
added to the Committee; which will signify much. It grieves me to see
how brokenly things are ordered. So by coach home, and at my office

late, and so to supper and to bed, my body by plenty of breaking of
wind being just now pretty well again, having had a constant akeing in
my back these 5 or 6 days. Mr. Coventry discoursing this noon about
Sir W. Batten (what a sad fellow he is!) told me how the King told him
the other day how Sir W. Batten, being in the ship with him and Prince
Rupert when they expected to fight with Warwick, did walk up and
down sweating with a napkin under his throat to dry up his sweat; and
that Prince Rupert being a most jealous man, and particularly of Batten,
do walk up and down swearing bloodily to the King, that Batten had a
mind to betray them to-day, and that the napkin was a signal; "but, by
God," says he, "if things go ill, the first thing I will do is to shoot him."
He discoursed largely and bravely to me concerning the different sort
of valours, the active and passive valour. For the latter, he brought as
an instance General Blake; who, in the defending of Taunton and Lime
for the Parliament, did through his stubborn