Diary, Mar/Apr 1661/62 | Page 6

Moore to
Whitehall and walked a little, and so to the Wardrobe to dinner, and so
home to the office about business till late at night by myself, and so
home and to bed.

8th. By coach with both Sir Williams to Westminster; this being a great
day there in the House to pass the business for chimney-money, which
was done. In the Hall I met with Serjeant Pierce; and he and I to drink a
cup of ale at the Swan, and there he told me how my Lady Monk hath
disposed of all the places which Mr. Edwd. Montagu hoped to have had,
as he was Master of the Horse to the Queen; which I am afraid will
undo him, because he depended much upon the profit of what he
should make by these places. He told me, also, many more scurvy
stories of him and his brother Ralph, which troubles me to hear of
persons of honour as they are. About one o'clock with both Sir
Williams and another, one Sir Rich. Branes, to the Trinity House, but
came after they had dined, so we had something got ready for us. Here
Sir W. Batten was taken with a fit of coughing that lasted a great while

and made him very ill, and so he went home sick upon it. Sir W. Pen.
and I to the office, whither afterward came Sir G. Carteret; and we sent
for Sir Thos. Allen, one of the Aldermen of the City, about the business
of one Colonel Appesley, whom we had taken counterfeiting of bills
with all our hands and the officers of the yards, so well counterfeited
that I should never have mistrusted them. We staid about this business
at the office till ten at night, and at last did send him with a constable to
the Counter; and did give warrants for the seizing of a complice of his,
one Blinkinsopp. So home and wrote to my father, and so to bed.

9th (Lord's day). Church in the morning: dined at home, then to Church
again and heard Mr. Naylor, whom I knew formerly of Keye's College,
make a most eloquent sermon. Thence to Sir W. Batten's to see how he
did, then to walk an hour with Sir W. Pen in the garden: then he in to
supper with me at my house, and so to prayers and to bed.

10th. At the office doing business all the morning, and my wife being
gone to buy some things in the city I dined with Sir W. Batten, and in
the afternoon met Sir W. Pen at the Treasury Office, and there paid off
the Guift, where late at night, and so called in and eat a bit at Sir W.
Batten's again, and so home and to bed, to-morrow being washing day.

11th. At the office all the morning, and all the afternoon rummaging of
papers in my chamber, and tearing some and sorting others till late at
night, and so to bed, my wife being not well all this day. This afternoon
Mrs. Turner and The. came to see me, her mother not having been
abroad many a day before, but now is pretty well again and has made
me one of the first visits.

12th. At the office from morning till night putting of papers in order,
that so I may have my office in an orderly condition. I took much pains
in sorting and folding of papers. Dined at home, and there came Mrs.
Goldsborough about her old business, but I did give her a short answer
and sent away. This morning we had news from Mr. Coventry, that Sir
G. Downing (like a perfidious rogue, though the action is good and of
service to the King,
[("And hail the treason though we hate the traitor.") On the 21st

Charles returned his formal thanks to the States for their assistance in
the matter.--B.]
yet he cannot with any good conscience do it) hath taken Okey, Corbet,
and Barkestead at Delfe, in Holland, and sent them home in the
Blackmore. Sir W. Pen, talking to me this afternoon of what a strange
thing it is for Downing to do this, he told me of a speech he made to the
Lords States of Holland, telling them to their faces that he observed
that he was not received with the respect and observance now, that he
was when he came from the traitor and rebell Cromwell: by whom, I
am sure, he hath got all he hath in the world,--and they know it too.
[Charles, when residing at Brussels, went to the Hague at night to pay a
secret visit to his sister, the Princess of Orange. After his arrival, "an
old reverend-like