ronged him of, but
names not his name; but it is well known to be the scrivener in Fleet
Street, at whose house he lodged. There is also this week dead a
poulterer, in Gracious Street, which was thought rich, but not so rich,
that hath left L800 per annum, taken in other men's names, and 40,000
Jacobs in gold.
[A jacobus was a gold coin of the value of twenty-five shillings,
called after James I, in whose reign it was first coined.]
24th. Sir J. Minnes, Sir W. Batten, and I, going forth toward White
Hall, we hear that the King and Duke are come this morning to the Tower
to see the Dunkirk money! So we by coach to them, and there went up
and down all the magazines with them; but methought it was but poor
discourse and frothy that the King's companions (young Killigrew among
the rest) about the codpieces of some of the men in armour there to be
seen, had with him. We saw none of the money, but Mr. Slingsby did show
the King, and I did see, the stamps of the new money that is now to be
made by Blondeau's fashion,
[Peter Blondeau was employed by the Commonwealth to coin their
money. After the Restoration, November 3rd, 1662, he received
letters of denization, and a grant for being engineer of the Mint in
the Tower of London, and for using his new invention for coining
gold and silver with the mill and press, with the fee of L100 per
annum (Walpole's "Anecdotes of Painting").]
which are very neat, and like the King. Thence the King to Woolwich,
though a very cold day; and the Duke to White Hall, commanding us to
come after him, which we did by coach; and in his closett, my Lord
Sandwich being there, did discourse with us about getting some of this
money to pay off the Fleets, and other matters; and then away hence,
and, it being almost dinner time, I to my Lord Crew's, and dined with
him, and had very good discourse, and he seemed to be much pleased with
my visits. Thence to Mr. Phillips, and so to the Temple, where met my
cozen Roger Pepys and his brother, Dr. John, as my arbitrators against
Mr. Cole and Mr. John Bernard for my uncle Thomas, and we two with them
by appointment. They began very high in their demands, and my friends,
partly being not so well acquainted with the will, and partly, I
doubt, not being so good wits as they, for which I blame my choosing
of relations (who besides that are equally engaged to stand for them as
me), I was much troubled thereat, and taki
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