Diary, Mar/Apr 1662/63 | Page 7

mine commonly of a Sunday. After
dinner up to my Lord, there being Mr. Kumball. My Lord, among other
discourse, did tell us of his great difficultys passed in the business of
the Sound, and of his receiving letters from the King there, but his
sending them by Whetstone was a great folly; and the story how my
Lord being at dinner with Sydney, one of his fellow plenipotentiarys
and his mortal enemy, did see Whetstone, and put off his hat three
times to him, but the fellow would not be known, which my Lord
imputed to his coxcombly humour (of which he was full), and bid
Sydney take notice of him too, when at the very time he had letters in
his pocket from the King, as it proved afterwards. And Sydney
afterwards did find it out at Copenhagen, the Dutch Commissioners
telling him how my Lord Sandwich had hired one of their ships to carry
back Whetstone to Lubeck, he being come from Flanders from the
King. But I cannot but remember my Lord's aequanimity in all these
affairs with admiration. Thence walked home, in my way meeting Mr.
Moore, with whom I took a turn or two in the street among the drapers
in Paul's Churchyard, talking of business, and so home to bed.

9th. Up betimes, to my office, where all the morning. About noon Sir J.
Robinson, Lord Mayor, desiring way through the garden from the
Tower, called in at the office and there invited me (and Sir W. Pen,
who happened to be in the way) to dinner, which we did; and there had
a great Lent dinner of fish, little flesh. And thence he and I in his coach,
against my will (for I am resolved to shun too great fellowship with
him) to White Hall, but came too late, the Duke having been with our
fellow officers before we came, for which I was sorry. Thence he and I
to walk one turn in the Park, and so home by coach, and I to my office,
where late, and so home to supper and bed. There dined with us to-day
Mr. Slingsby, of the Mint, who showed us all the new pieces both gold
and silver (examples of them all), that are made for the King, by

Blondeau's' way; and compared them with those made for Oliver. The
pictures of the latter made by Symons, and of the King by one Rotyr, a
German, I think, that dined with us also. He extolls those of Rotyr's
above the others; and, indeed, I think they are the better, because the
sweeter of the two; but, upon my word, those of the Protector are more
like in my mind, than the King's, but both very well worth seeing. The
crowns of Cromwell are now sold, it seems, for 25s. and 30s. apiece.

10th. Up and to my office all the morning, and great pleasure it is to be
doing my business betimes. About noon Sir J. Minnes came to me and
staid half an hour with me in my office talking about his business with
Sir W. Pen, and (though with me an old doter) yet he told me freely
how sensible he is of Sir W. Pen's treachery in this business, and what
poor ways he has taken all along to ingratiate himself by making Mr.
Turner write out things for him and then he gives them to the Duke,
and how he directed him to give Mr. Coventry L100 for his place, but
that Mr. Coventry did give him L20 back again. All this I am pleased to
hear that his knavery is found out. Dined upon a poor Lenten dinner at
home, my wife being vexed at a fray this morning with my Lady Batten
about my boy's going thither to turn the watercock with their maydes'
leave, but my Lady was mighty high upon it and she would teach his
mistress better manners, which my wife answered aloud that she might
hear, that she could learn little manners of her. After dinner to my
office, and there we sat all the afternoon till 8 at night, and so wrote my
letters by the post and so before 9 home, which is rare with me of late, I
staying longer, but with multitude of business my head akes, and so I
can stay no longer, but home to supper and to bed.

11th. Up betimes, and to my office, walked a little in the garden with
Sir W. Batten, talking about the difference between his Lady and my
wife yesterday, and I doubt my wife is to blame. About noon had news
by Mr. Wood that Butler, our chief witness against Field, was sent by
him to New England