Diary, May/Jun 1666 | Page 6

to supper and to bed.

7th. Up betimes to set my Victualling papers in order against Sir W.
Coventry comes, which indeed makes me very melancholy, being
conscious that I am much to seeke in giving a good answer to his
queries about the Victualling business. At the office mighty busy, and
brought myself into a pretty plausible condition before Sir W. Coventry
come, and did give him a pretty tolerable account of every thing and
went with him into the Victualling office, where we sat and examined
his businesses and state of the victualling of the fleete, which made me
in my heart blushe that I could say no more to it than I did or could. But
I trust in God I shall never be in that condition again. We parted, and I
with pretty good grace, and so home to dinner, where my wife troubled
more and more with her swollen cheek. So to dinner, my sister-in-law
with us, who I find more and more a witty woman; and then I to my
Lord Treasurer's and the Exchequer about my Tangier businesses, and
with my content passed by all things and persons without so much as
desiring any stay or loss of time with them, being by strong vowe

obliged on no occasion to stay abroad but my publique offices. So
home again, where I find Mrs. Pierce and Mrs. Ferrers come to see my
wife. I staid a little with them, being full of business, and so to the
office, where busy till late at night and so weary and a little conscious
of my failures to-day, yet proud that the day is over without more
observation on Sir W. Coventry's part, and so to bed and to sleepe
soundly.

8th. Up, and to the office all the morning. At noon dined at home, my
wife's cheek bad still. After dinner to the office again and thither comes
Mr. Downing, the anchor-smith, who had given me 50 pieces in gold
the last month to speake for him to Sir W. Coventry, for his being smith
at Deptford; but after I had got it granted to him, he finds himself not fit
to go on with it, so lets it fall. So has no benefit of my motion. I
therefore in honour and conscience took him home the money, and,
though much to my grief, did yet willingly and forcibly force him to
take it again, the poor man having no mind to have it. However, I made
him take it, and away he went, and I glad to have given him so much
cause to speake well of me. So to my office again late, and then home
to supper to a good lobster with my wife, and then a little to my office
again, and so to bed.

9th. Up by five o'clock, which I have not a long time done, and down
the river by water to Deptford, among other things to examine the state
of Ironworke, in order to the doing something with reference to
Downing that may induce him to returne me the 50 pieces. Walked
back again reading of my Civill Law Book, and so home and by coach
to White Hall, where we did our usual business before the Duke, and
heard the Duke commend Deane's ship "The Rupert" before "The
Defyance," built lately by Castle, in hearing of Sir W. Batten, which
pleased me mightily. Thence by water to Westminster, and there looked
after my Tangier order, and so by coach to Mrs. Pierces, thinking to
have gone to Hales's, but she was not ready, so away home and to
dinner, and after dinner out by coach to Lovett's to have forwarded
what I have doing there, but find him and his pretty wife gone to my
house to show me something. So away to my Lord Treasurer's, and
thence to Pierces, where I find Knipp, and I took them to Hales's to see

our pictures finished, which are very pretty, but I like not hers half so
well as I thought at first, it being not so like, nor so well painted as I
expected, or as mine and my wife's are. Thence with them to Cornhill
to call and choose a chimney-piece for Pierces closett, and so home,
where my wife in mighty pain and mightily vexed at my being abroad
with these women; and when they were gone called them whores and I
know not what, which vexed me, having been so innocent with them.
So I with them to Mrs. Turner's and there sat with them a while, anon
my wife sends for me, I come, and what was it but to scold at me and
she would go abroad to take the ayre