Diary, October 1665 | Page 9

so desired me to get a pleasure
boat for to take him in to-morrow morning, and do many other things,
and with a great liking of me, and my management especially, as that
coxcombe my Lord Craven do tell me, and I perceive it, and I am sure
take pains enough to deserve it. Thence away and to the office at
London, where I did some business about my money and private
accounts, and there eat a bit of goose of Mr. Griffin's, and so by water,
it raining most miserably, to Greenwich, calling on several vessels in
my passage. Being come there I hear another seizure hath been made of
our goods by one Captain Fisher that hath been at Chatham by warrant
of the Duke of Albemarle, and is come in my absence to Tooker's and
viewed them, demanding the key of the constable, and so sealed up the
door. I to the house, but there being no officers nor constable could do
nothing, but back to my office full of trouble about this, and there late
about business, vexed to see myself fall into this trouble and
concernment in a thing that I want instruction from my Lord Sandwich
whether I should appear in it or no, and so home to bed, having spent
two hours, I and my boy, at Mr. Glanvill's removing of faggots to make
room to remove our goods to, but when done I thought it not fit to use
it. The newes of the killing of the [King of] France is wholly untrue,
and they say that of the Pope too.

10th. Up, and receive a stop from the Duke of Albemarle of setting out
any more ships, or providing a pleasure boat for himself, which I am
glad of, and do see, what I thought yesterday, that this resolution of his
was a sudden one and silly. By and by comes Captain Cocke's Jacob to
tell me that he is come from Chatham this morning, and that there are
four waggons of goods at hand coming to towne, which troubles me. I
directed him to bring them to his master's house. But before I could
send him away to bring them thither, newes is brought me that they are
seized on in the towne by this Captain Fisher and they will carry them
to another place. So I to them and found our four waggons in the streete
stopped by the church by this Fisher and company and 100 or 200
people in the streetes gazing. I did give them good words, and made
modest desires of carrying the goods to Captain Cocke's, but they
would have them to a house of their hiring, where in a barne the goods
were laid. I had transires to show for all, and the tale was right, and
there I spent all the morning seeing this done. At which Fisher was
vexed that I would not let it be done by any body else for the merchant,
and that I must needs be concerned therein, which I did not think fit to
owne. So that being done, I left the goods to be watched by men on
their part and ours, and so to the office by noon, whither by and by
comes Captain Cocke, whom I had with great care sent for by expresse
the last night, and so I with him to his house and there eat a bit, and so
by coach to Lambeth, and I took occasion first to go to the Duke of
Albemarle to acquaint him with some thing of what had been done this
morning in behalf of a friend absent, which did give a good entrance
and prevented their possessing the Duke with anything of evil of me by
their report, and by and by in comes. Captain Cocke and tells his whole
story. So an order was made for the putting him in possession upon
giving security to, be accountable for the goods, which for the present
did satisfy us, and so away, giving Locke that drew the order a piece.
(Lord! to see how unhappily a man may fall into a necessity of bribing
people to do him right in a thing, wherein he hath done nothing but fair,
and bought dear.) So to the office, there to write my letters, and Cocke
comes to tell me that Fisher is come to him, and that he doubts not to
cajole Fisher and his companion and make them friends with drink and
a bribe. This night comes Sir Christopher Mings to towne, and I went
to see him, and by and by he being then out of the town comes to see

me. He is newly come from Court, and carries direction for the making
a show