nd wished I had not been there. After
dinner comes Sir J. Minnes and some captains with him, who had been at
a Councill of Warr to-day, who tell us they have acquitted Captain
Hall, who was accused of cowardice in letting of old Winter, the Argier
pyrate, go away from him with a prize or two; and also Captain Diamond
of the murder laid to him of a man that he had struck, but he lived many
months after, till being drunk, he fell into the hold, and there broke
his jaw and died, but they say there are such bawdy articles against
him as never were heard of .... To the pay again, where I left them, and
walked to Redriffe, and so home, and there came Mr. Creed and Shepley to
me, and staid till night about my Lord's accounts, our proceeding to set
them in order, and so parted and I to bed. Mr. Holliard had been with my
wife to-day, and cured her of her pain in her ear by taking out a most
prodigious quantity of hard wax that had hardened itself in the bottom
of the ear, of which I am very glad.

28th. Up to my Lord's and my own accounts, and so to the office, where
all the forenoon sitting, and at noon by appointment to the Mitre, where
Mr. Shepley gave me and Mr. Creed, and I had my uncle Wight with us, a
dish of fish. Thence to the office again, and there all the afternoon
till night, and so home, and after talking with my wife to bed. This day
a genteel woman came to me, claiming kindred of me, as she had once done
before, and borrowed 10s. of me, promising to repay it at night, but I
hear nothing of her. I shall trust her no more. Great talk there is of
a fear of a war with the Dutch; and we have order to pitch upon twenty
ships to be forthwith set out; but I hope it is but a scarecrow to the
world, to let them see that we can be ready for them; though, God knows!
the King is not able to set out five ships at this present without great
difficulty, we neither having money, credit, nor stores. My mind is now
in a wonderful condition of quiet and content, more than ever in all my
life, since my minding the business of my office, which I have done most
constantly; and I find it to be the very effect of my late oaths against
wine and plays, which, if God please, I will keep constant in, for now
my business is a delight to me, and brings me great credit, and my purse
encreases too.

29th (Lord's day). Up by four o'clock, and to the settling of my
own accounts, and I do find upon my monthly ballance, which I have
undertaken to k