Diary, May/Jun 1663 | Page 6

wife down at my Lord Crew's, going to see my Lady Jem. Montagu,
who is lately come to town, and I to St. James's; where Mr. Coventry,
Sir W. Pen and I staid a good while for the Duke's coming in, but not
coming, we walked to White Hall; and meeting the King, we followed
him into the Park, where Mr. Coventry and he talked of building a new
yacht, which the King is resolved to have built out of his privy purse,
he having some contrivance of his own. The talk being done, we fell off
to White Hall, leaving the King in the Park, and going back, met the
Duke going towards St. James's to meet us. So he turned back again,
and to his closett at White Hall; and there, my Lord Sandwich present,
we did our weekly errand, and so broke up; and I down into the garden
with my Lord Sandwich (after we had sat an hour at the Tangier
Committee); and after talking largely of his own businesses, we begun
to talk how matters are at Court: and though he did not flatly tell me
any such thing, yet I do suspect that all is not kind between the King
and the Duke, and that the King's fondness to the little Duke do
occasion it; and it may be that there is some fear of his being made heir
to the Crown. But this my Lord did not tell me, but is my guess only;
and that my Lord Chancellor is without doubt falling past hopes. He
being gone to Chelsey by coach I to his lodgings, where my wife staid
for me, and she from thence to see Mrs. Pierce and called me at
Whitehall stairs (where I went before by land to know whether there
was any play at Court to-night) and there being none she and I to Mr.
Creed to the Exchange, where she bought something, and from thence
by water to White Fryars, and wife to see Mrs. Turner, and then came
to me at my brother's, where I did give him order about my summer

clothes, and so home by coach, and after supper to bed to my wife, with
whom I have not lain since I used to lie with my father till to-night.

5th. Up betimes and to my office, and there busy all the morning,
among other things walked a good while up and down with Sir J.
Minnes, he telling many old stories of the Navy, and of the state of the
Navy at the beginning of the late troubles, and I am troubled at my
heart to think, and shall hereafter cease to wonder, at the bad success of
the King's cause, when such a knave as he (if it be true what he says)
had the whole management of the fleet, and the design of putting out of
my Lord Warwick, and carrying the fleet to the King, wherein he failed
most fatally to the King's ruin. Dined at home, and after dinner up to try
my dance, and so to the office again, where we sat all the afternoon. In
the evening Deane of Woolwich went home with me and showed me
the use of a little sliding ruler, less than that I bought the other day,
which is the same with that, but more portable; however I did not seem
to understand or even to have seen anything of it before, but I find him
an ingenious fellow, and a good servant in his place to the King.
Thence to my office busy writing letters, and then came Sir W. Warren,
staying for a letter in his business by the post, and while that was
writing he and I talked about merchandise, trade, and getting of money.
I made it my business to enquire what way there is for a man bred like
me to come to understand anything of trade. He did most discretely
answer me in all things, shewing me the danger for me to meddle either
in ships or merchandise of any sort or common stocks, but what I have
to keep at interest, which is a good, quiett, and easy profit, and once in
a little while something offers that with ready money you may make
use of money to good profit. Wherein I concur much with him, and
parted late with great pleasure and content in his discourse, and so
home to supper and to bed. It has been this afternoon very hot and this
evening also, and about 11 at night going to bed it fell a-thundering and
lightening, the greatest flashes enlightening the whole body of the yard,
that ever I saw in my life.

6th. Up betimes and to my office