Diary, September 1665 | Page 7

the chief business to my content
about getting a promise of some money of him, we took leave, being
exceedingly well treated here, and a most pleasant journey we had back,
Povy and I, and his company most excellent in anything but business,
he here giving me an account of as many persons at Court as I had a
mind or thought of enquiring after. He tells me by a letter he showed
me, that the King is not, nor hath been of late, very well, but quite out
of humour; and, as some think, in a consumption, and weary of every
thing. He showed me my Lord Arlington's house that he was born in, in
a towne called Harlington: and so carried me through a most pleasant
country to Brainford, and there put me into my boat, and good night. So
I wrapt myself warm, and by water got to Woolwich about one in the
morning, my wife and all in bed.

8th. Waked, and fell in talk with my wife about the letter, and she
satisfied me that she did not know from whence it come, but believed it
might be from her cozen Franke Moore lately come out of France. The
truth is the thing I think cannot have much in it, and being unwilling
(being in other things so much at ease) to vex myself in a strange place
at a melancholy time, passed all by and were presently friends. Up, and
several with me about business. Anon comes my Lord Bruncker, as I
expected, and we to the enquiring into the business of the late desertion
of the Shipwrights from worke, who had left us for three days together
for want of money, and upon this all the morning, and brought it to a
pretty good issue, that they, we believe, will come to-morrow to work.
To dinner, having but a mean one, yet sufficient for him, and he well
enough pleased, besides that I do not desire to vye entertainments with
him or any else. Here was Captain Cocke also, and Mr. Wayth. We
staid together talking upon one business or other all the afternoon. In
the evening my Lord Bruncker hearing that Mr. Ackeworth's clerke, the
Dutchman who writes and draws so well, was transcribing a book of
Rates and our ships for Captain Millet a gallant of his mistress's, we

sent for him for it. He would not deliver it, but said it was his mistress's
and had delivered it to her. At last we were forced to send to her for it;
she would come herself, and indeed the book was a very neat one and
worth keeping as a rarity, but we did think fit, and though much against
my will, to cancell all that he had finished of it, and did give her the
rest, which vexed her, and she bore it discreetly enough, but with a
cruel deal of malicious rancour in her looks. I must confess I would
have persuaded her to have let us have it to the office, and it may be the
board would not have censured too hardly of it, but my intent was to
have had it as a Record for the office, but she foresaw what would be
the end of it and so desired it might rather be cancelled, which was a
plaguy deal of spite. My Lord Bruncker being gone and company, and
she also, afterwards I took my wife and people and walked into the
fields about a while till night, and then home, and so to sing a little and
then to bed. I was in great trouble all this day for my boy Tom who
went to Greenwich yesterday by my order and come not home till
to-night for fear of the plague, but he did come home to-night, saying
he staid last night by Mr. Hater's advice hoping to have me called as I
come home with my boat to come along with me.

9th. Up and walked to Greenwich, and there we sat and dispatched a
good deal of business I had a mind to. At noon, by invitation, to my
Lord Bruncker's, all of us, to dinner, where a good venison pasty, and
mighty merry. Here was Sir W. Doyly, lately come from Ipswich about
the sicke and wounded, and Mr. Evelyn and Captain Cocke. My wife
also was sent for by my Lord Bruncker, by Cocke, and was here. After
dinner, my Lord and his mistress would see her home again, it being a
most cursed rainy afternoon, having had none a great while before, and
I, forced to go to the office on foot through all the rain, was almost wet
to my skin, and spoiled my silke breeches almost.