Diary, Mar/Apr 1662/63 | Page 5

calling Commissioner Pett, he and I to White Hall to give Mr. Coventry
an account of what we did yesterday. Thence I to the Privy Seal Office,
and there got a copy of Sir W. Pen's grant to be assistant to Sir J.
Minnes, Comptroller, which, though there be not much in it, yet I
intend to stir up Sir J. Minnes to oppose, only to vex Sir W. Pen.
Thence by water home, and at noon, by promise, Mrs. Turner and her
daughter, and Mrs. Morrice, came along with Roger Pepys to dinner.

We were as merry as I could be, having but a bad dinner for them; but
so much the better, because of the dinner which I must have at the end
of this month. And here Mrs. The. shewed me my name upon her breast
as her Valentine, which will cost me 20s. After dinner I took them
down into the wine-cellar, and broached my tierce of claret for them.
Towards the evening we parted, and I to the office awhile, and then
home to supper and to bed, the sooner having taken some cold
yesterday upon the water, which brings me my usual pain. This
afternoon Roger Pepys tells me, that for certain the King is for all this
very highly incensed at the Parliament's late opposing the Indulgence;
which I am sorry for, and fear it will breed great discontent.

4th. Lay long talking with my wife about ordering things in our family,
and then rose and to my office, there collecting an alphabet for my
Navy Manuscript, which, after a short dinner, I returned to and by night
perfected to my great content. So to other business till 9 at night, and so
home to supper and to bed.

5th. Rose this morning early, only to try with intention to begin my last
summer's course in rising betimes. So to my office a little, and then to
Westminster by coach with Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten, in our way
talking of Sir W. Pen's business of his patent, which I think I have put a
stop to wholly, for Sir J. Minnes swears he will never consent to it.
Here to the Lobby, and spoke with my cozen Roger, who is going to
Cambridge to-morrow. In the Hall I do hear that the Catholiques are in
great hopes for all this, and do set hard upon the King to get Indulgence.
Matters, I hear, are all naught in Ireland, and that the Parliament has
voted, and the people, that is, the Papists, do cry out against the
Commissioners sent by the King; so that they say the English interest
will be lost there. Thence I went to see my Lord Sandwich, who I found
very ill, and by his cold being several nights hindered from sleep, he is
hardly able to open his eyes, and is very weak and sad upon it, which
troubled me much. So after talking with Mr. Cooke, whom I found
there, about his folly for looking and troubling me and other friends in
getting him a place (that is, storekeeper of the Navy at Tangier) before
there is any such thing, I returned to the Hall, and thence back with the
two knights home again by coach, where I found Mr. Moore got abroad,

and dined with me, which I was glad to see, he having not been able to
go abroad a great while. Then came in Mr. Hawley and dined with us,
and after dinner I left them, and to the office, where we sat late, and I
do find that I shall meet with nothing to oppose my growing great in
the office but Sir W. Pen, who is now well again, and comes into the
office very brisk, and, I think, to get up his time that he has been out of
the way by being mighty diligent at the office, which, I pray God, he
may be, but I hope by mine to weary him out, for I am resolved to fall
to business as hard as I can drive, God giving me health. At my office
late, and so home to supper and to bed.

6th. Up betimes, and about eight o'clock by coach with four horses,
with Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten, to Woolwich, a pleasant day.
There at the yard we consulted and ordered several matters, and thence
to the rope yard and did the like, and so into Mr. Falconer's, where we
had some fish, which we brought with us, dressed; and there dined with
us his new wife, which had been his mayde, but seems to be a genteel
woman, well enough bred and discreet. Thence after dinner back to
Deptford, where we