Diary, Mar/Apr 1665/66 | Page 5

of two ships of my
Lord Rutherford's. After a small dinner and a little discourse I away to
the Crowne behind the Exchange to Sir W. Pen, Captain Cocke and Fen,
about getting a bill of Cocke's paid to Pen, in part for the East India
goods he sold us. Here Sir W. Pen did give me the reason in my eare of
his importunity for money, for that he is now to marry his daughter.
God send her better fortune than her father deserves I should wish him
for a false rogue. Thence by coach to Hales's, and there saw my wife sit;
and I do like her picture mightily, and very like it will be, and a brave
piece of work. But he do complain that her nose hath cost him as much

work as another's face, and he hath done it finely indeed. Thence home
and late at the office, and then to bed.

4th (Lord's day). And all day at my Tangier and private accounts,
having neglected them since Christmas, which I hope I shall never do
again; for I find the inconvenience of it, it being ten times the labour to
remember and settle things. But I thank God I did it at last, and brought
them all fine and right; and I am, I thinke, by all appears to me (and I
am sure I cannot be L10 wrong), worth above L4600, for which the
Lord be praised! being the biggest sum I ever was worth yet.

5th. I was at it till past two o'clock on Monday morning, and then read
my vowes, and to bed with great joy and content that I have brought
my things to so good a settlement, and now having my mind fixed to
follow my business again and sensible of Sir W. Coventry's jealousies,
I doubt, concerning me, partly my siding with Sir G. Carteret, and
partly that indeed I have been silent in my business of the office a great
while, and given but little account of myself and least of all to him,
having not made him one visitt since he came to towne from Oxford, I
am resolved to fall hard to it again, and fetch up the time and interest I
have lost or am in a fair way of doing it. Up about eight o'clock, being
called up by several people, among others by Mr. Moone, with whom I
went to Lumbard Streete to Colvill, and so back again and in my
chamber he and I did end all our businesses together of accounts for
money upon bills of Exchange, and am pleased to find myself reputed a
man of business and method, as he do give me out to be. To the
'Change at noon and so home to dinner. Newes for certain of the King
of Denmarke's declaring for the Dutch, and resolution to assist them.
To the office, and there all the afternoon. In the evening come Mr.
James and brother Houblons to agree upon share parties for their ships,
and did acquaint me that they had paid my messenger, whom I sent this
afternoon for it, L200 for my friendship in the business, which pleases
me mightily. They being gone I forth late to Sir H. Viner's to take a
receipt of them for the L200 lodged for me there with them, and so
back home, and after supper to bed.

6th. Up betimes and did much business before office time. Then to the

office and there till noon and so home to dinner and to the office again
till night. In the evening being at Sir W. Batten's, stepped in (for I have
not used to go thither a good while), I find my Lord Bruncker and Mrs.
Williams, and they would of their own accord, though I had never
obliged them (nor my wife neither) with one visit for many of theirs, go
see my house and my wife; which I showed them and made them
welcome with wine and China oranges (now a great rarity since the war,
none to be had). There being also Captain Cocke and Mrs. Turner, who
had never been in my house since I come to the office before, and Mrs.
Carcasse, wife of Mr. Carcasses. My house happened to be mighty
clean, and did me great honour, and they mightily pleased with it. They
gone I to the office and did some business, and then home to supper
and to bed. My mind troubled through a doubtfulness of my having
incurred Sir W. Coventry's displeasure by not having waited on him
since his coming to towne, which is a mighty faulte and that I can bear
the fear of the bad effects of till I have been with