by water
to Woolwich; and there saw an experiment made of Sir R. Ford's Holland's
yarn (about which we have lately had so much stir; and I have much
concerned myself for our ropemaker, Mr. Hughes, who has represented it
as bad), and we found it to be very bad, and broke sooner than, upon a
fair triall, five threads of that against four of Riga yarn; and also
that some of it had old stuff that had been tarred, covered over with
new hemp, which is such a cheat as hath not been heard of. I was glad of
this discovery, because I would not have the King's workmen discouraged
(as Sir W. Batten do most basely do) from representing the faults of
merchants' goods, where there is any. After eating some fish that we
had bought upon the water at Falconer's, we went to Woolwich, and there
viewed our frames of our houses, and so home, and I to my Lord's, who I
find resolved to buy Brampton Manor of Sir Peter Ball,

[Sir Peter Ball was the Queen's Attorney-General, and Evelyn
mentions, in his Diary (January 11th, 1661-62), having received from
him the draft of an act against the nuisance of the smoke of
London.]

at which I am glad. Thence to White Hall, and showed Sir G. Carteret the
cheat, and so to the Wardrobe, and there staid and supped with my Lady.
My Lord eating nothing, but writes letters to-night to several places,
he being to go out of town to-morrow. So late home and to bed.

5th. To the Wardrobe, and there my Lord did enquire my opinion of Mr.
Moore, which I did give to the best advantage I could, and by that means
shall get him joined with Mr. Townsend in the Wardrobe business. He did
also give me all Mr. Shepley's and Mr. Moore's accounts to view, which
I am glad of, as being his great trust in me, and I would willingly keep
up a good interest with him. So took leave of him (he being to go this
day) and to the office, where they were just sat down, and I showed them
yesterday's discovery, and have got Sir R. Ford to be my enemy by it;
but I care not, for it is my duty, and so did get his bill stopped for
the present. To dinner, and found Dr. Thos. Pepys at my house; but I was
called from dinner by a note from Mr. Moore to Alderman Backwell's, to
see some thousands of my Lord's crusados weighed, and we find that
3,000 come to about L530 or 40 generally. Home again and found my father
there; we talked a good while and so parted. We met at the office in the
afternoon to finish Mr. Gauden's accounts, b