Diary, June 1667 | Page 5

of wine; and Sir W. Pen and Mr.
Scowen to be at the eating of them. Thence down by water to Deptford,
it being Trinity Monday, when the Master is chosen, and there, finding
them all at church, and thinking they dined, as usual, at Stepny, I turned
back, having a good book in my hand, the Life of Cardinal Wolsey,
wrote by his own servant, and to Ratcliffe; and so walked to Stepny,
and spent, my time in the churchyard, looking over the gravestones,
expecting when the company would come by. Finding no company
stirring, I sent to the house to see; and, it seems, they dine not there, but
at Deptford: so I back again to Deptford, and there find them just sat
down. And so I down with them; and we had a good dinner of plain
meat, and good company at our table: among others, my good Mr.
Evelyn, with whom, after dinner, I stepped aside, and talked upon the
present posture of our affairs; which is, that the Dutch are known to be
abroad with eighty sail of ships of war, and twenty fire-ships; and the
French come into the Channell with twenty sail of men-of-war, and five
fireships, while we have not a ship at sea to do them any hurt with; but
are calling in all we can, while our Embassadors are treating at Bredah;
and the Dutch look upon them as come to beg peace, and use them
accordingly; and all this through the negligence of our Prince, who hath
power, if he would, to master all these with the money and men that he
hath had the command of, and may now have, if he would mind his
business. But, for aught we see, the Kingdom is likely to be lost, as
well as the reputation of it is, for ever; notwithstanding so much
reputation got and preserved by a rebel that went before him. This
discourse of ours ended with sorrowful reflections upon our condition,
and so broke up, and Creed and I got out of the room, and away by
water to White Hall, and there he and I waited in the Treasury-chamber
an hour or two, where we saw the Country Receivers and Accountants
for money come to attend; and one of them, a brisk young fellow, with
his hat cocked like a fool behind, as the present fashion among the

blades is, committed to the Serjeant. By and by, I, upon desire, was
called in, and delivered in my report of my Accounts. Present, Lord
Ashly, Clifford, and Duncomb, who, being busy, did not read it; but
committed it to Sir George Downing, and so I was dismissed; but, Lord!
to see how Duncomb do take upon him is an eyesore, though I think he
deserves great honour, but only the suddenness of his rise, and his pride.
But I do like the way of these lords, that they admit nobody to use
many words, nor do they spend many words themselves, but in great
state do hear what they see necessary, and say little themselves, but bid
withdraw. Thence Creed and I by water up to Fox Hall, and over
against it stopped, thinking to see some Cock- fighting; but it was just
being done, and, therefore, back again to the other side, and to Spring
Garden, and there eat and drank a little, and then to walk up and down
the garden, reflecting upon the bad management of things now,
compared with what it was in the late rebellious times, when men,
some for fear, and some for religion, minded their business, which none
now do, by being void of both. Much talk of this and, other kinds, very
pleasant, and so when it was almost night we home, setting him in at
White Hall, and I to the Old Swan, and thence home, where to supper,
and then to read a little, and so to bed.

4th. Up, and to the office, and there busy all the morning putting in
order the answering the great letter sent to the office by the new
Commissioners of the Treasury, who demand an account from the
King's coming in to this day, which we shall do in the best manner we
can. At noon home to dinner, and after dinner comes Mr. Commander
to me and tells me, after all, that I cannot have a lease of the ground for
my coach- house and stable, till a suit in law be ended, about the end of
the old stable now standing, which they and I would have pulled down
to make a better way for a coach. I am a little sorry that I cannot
presently have it, because I am pretty full in my mind of