Diary, May/Jun 1666 | Page 9

tallys, and there met Sir G.
Downing, who shewed me his present practise now begun this day to
paste up upon the Exchequer door a note of what orders upon the new
Act are paid and now in paying, and my Lord of Oxford coming by,
also took him, and shewed him his whole method of keeping his books,
and everything of it, which indeed is very pretty, and at this day there is
assigned upon the Act L804,000. Thence at the New Exchange took up
my wife again, and so home to dinner, and after dinner to my office
again to set things in order. In the evening out with my wife and my
aunt Wight, to take the ayre, and happened to have a pleasant race
between our hackney-coach and a gentleman's. At Bow we eat and

drank and so back again, it being very cool in the evening. Having set
home my aunt and come home, I fell to examine my wife's kitchen
book, and find 20s. mistake, which made me mighty angry and great
difference between us, and so in the difference to bed.--[Sam forgets
that he is still out L50 on his own personal accounts which is about
$50,000 (ann. 2001) compared to his wife's $1000 D.W.]--

15th. Up and to the office, where we met and sat all the morning. At
noon home to dinner, and after dinner by coach to Sir Philip
Warwicke's, he having sent for me, but was not within, so I to my Lord
Crew's, who is very lately come to towne, and with him talking half an
houre of the business of the warr, wherein he is very doubtful, from our
want of money, that we shall fail. And I do concur with him therein.
After some little discourse of ordinary matters, I away to Sir Philip
Warwicke's again, and was come in, and gone out to my Lord
Treasurer's; whither I followed him, and there my business was, to be
told that my Lord Treasurer hath got L10,000 for us in the Navy, to
answer our great necessities, which I did thank him for; but the sum is
not considerable. So home, and there busy all the afternoon till night,
and then home to supper and to bed.

16th. Up very betimes, and so down the river to Deptford to look after
some business, being by and by to attend the Duke and Mr. Coventry,
and so I was wiling to carry something fresh that I may look as a man
minding business, which I have done too much for a great while to
forfeit, and is now so great a burden upon my mind night and day that I
do not enjoy myself in the world almost. I walked thither, and come
back again by water, and so to White Hall, and did our usual business
before the Duke, and so to the Exchequer, where the lazy rogues have
not yet done my tallys, which vexes me. Thence to Mr. Hales, and paid
him for my picture, and Mr. Hill's, for the first L14 for the picture, and
25s. for the frame, and for the other L7 for the picture, it being a copy
of his only, and 5s. for the frame; in all, L22 10s. I am very well
satisfied in my pictures, and so took them in another coach home along
with me, and there with great pleasure my wife and I hung them up,
and, that being done, to dinner, where Mrs. Barbara Sheldon come to
see us and dined with us, and we kept her all the day with us, I going

down to Deptford, and, Lord! to see with what itching desire I did
endeavour to see Bagwell's wife, but failed, for which I am glad, only I
observe the folly of my mind that cannot refrain from pleasure at a
season above all others in my life requisite for me to shew my utmost
care in. I walked both going and coming, spending my time reading of
my Civill and Ecclesiastical Law book. Being returned home, I took
my wife and Mrs. Barbary and Mercer out by coach and went our
Grand Tour, and baited at Islington, and so late home about 11 at night,
and so with much pleasure to bed.

17th. Up, lying long, being wearied yesterday with long walking. So to
the office, where all the morning with fresh occasion of vexing at
myself for my late neglect of business, by which I cannot appear half so
usefull as I used to do. Home at noon to dinner, and then to my office
again, where I could not hold my eyes open for an houre, but I drowsed
(so little sensible I apprehend my soul is of