Diary, May 1667 | Page 6

bed. Sir W. Pen did give me an
account this afternoon of his design of buying Sir Robert Brooke's fine
house at Wansted; which I so wondered at, and did give him reasons
against it, which he allowed of: and told me that he did intend to pull
down the house and build a less, and that he should get L1500 by the
old house, and I know not what fooleries. But I will never believe he
ever intended to buy it, for my part; though he troubled Mr. Gawden to
go and look upon it, and advise him in it.

2nd. To the office, where all the morning. At noon home to dinner, and
then abroad to my Lord Treasurer's, who continues so ill as not to be
troubled with business. So Mr. Gawden and I to my Lord Ashly's and
spoke with him, and then straight home, and there I did much business
at the office, and then to my own chamber and did the like there, to my
great content, but to the pain of my eyes, and then to supper and to bed,
having a song with my wife with great pleasure, she doing it well.

3rd. Up, and with Sir J. Minnes, [Sir] W. Batten, and [Sir] W. Pen in
the last man's coach to St. James's, and thence up to the Duke of York's
chamber, which, as it is now fretted at the top, and the chimney-piece
made handsome, is one of the noblest and best-proportioned rooms that
ever, I think, I saw in my life, and when ready, into his closet and did
our business, where, among other things, we had a proposition of Mr.
Pierces, for being continued in pay, or something done for him, in
reward of his pains as Chyrurgeon-Generall; forasmuch as Troutbecke,
that was never a doctor before, hath got L200 a year settled on him for
nothing but that one voyage with the Duke of Albemarle. The Duke of
York and the whole company did shew most particular kindness to Mr.
Pierce, every body moving for him, and the Duke himself most, that he
is likely to be a very great man, I believe. Here also we had another
mention of Carcasses business, and we directed to bring in a report of

our opinion of his case, which vexes us that such a rogue shall make us
so much trouble. Thence I presently to the Excise Office, and there met
the Cofferer and [Sir] Stephen Fox by agreement, and agreed upon a
method for our future payments, and then we three to my Lord
Treasurer, who continues still very ill. I had taken my stone with me on
purpose, and Sir Philip Warwicke carried it in to him to see, but was
not in a condition to talk with me about it, poor man. So I with them to
Westminster by coach; the Cofferer telling us odd stories how he was
dealt with by the men of the Church at Westminster in taking a lease of
them at the King's coming in, and particularly the devilish covetousness
of Dr. Busby. Sir Stephen Fox, in discourse, told him how he is selling
some land he hath, which yields him not above three per cent., if so
much, and turning it into money, which he can put out at ten per cent.;
and, as times go, if they be like to continue, it is the best way for me to
keep money going so, for aught I see. I to Westminster Hall, and there
took a turn with my old acquaintance Mr. Pechell, whose red nose
makes me ashamed to be seen with him, though otherwise a
good-natured man. So away, I not finding of Mr. Moore, with whom I
should have met and spoke about a letter I this day received from him
from my Lord Hinchingbroke, wherein he desires me to help him to
L1900 to pay a bill of exchange of his father's, which troubles me much,
but I will find some way, if I can do it, but not to bring myself in bonds
or disbursements for it, whatever comes of it. So home to dinner, where
my wife hath 'ceux la' upon her and is very ill with them, and so forced
to go to bed, and I sat by her a good while, then down to my chamber
and made an end of Rycaut's History of the Turks, which is a very good
book. Then to the office, and did some business, and then my wife
being pretty well, by coach to little Michell's, and there saw my poor
Betty and her little child, which slept so soundly we could hardly wake
it in an hour's time without hurting it, and they tell