e confesses. He deplored
the condition of his family, but his chief design was to lengthen time,
believing still a reprieve would come, though the sheriff advised him
to expect no such thing, for the King was resolved to grant none. After
that I had good discourse with a pretty young merchant with mighty
content. So to my office and did a little business, and then to my aunt
Wight's to fetch my wife home, where Dr. Burnett did tell me how poorly
the sheriffs did endeavour to get one jewell returned by Turner, after
he was convicted, as a due to them, and not to give it to Mr. Tryan,
the true owner, but ruled against them, to their great dishonour.
Though they plead it might be another jewell for ought they know and not
Tryan's. After supper home, and my wife tells me mighty stories of my
uncle's fond and kind discourses to her to-day, which makes me confident
that he has thoughts of kindness for us, he repeating his desire for her
to be with child, for it cannot enter into my head that he should have
any unworthy thoughts concerning her. After doing some business at my
office, I home to supper, prayers, and to bed.

22nd. Up, and it being a brave morning, with a gaily to Woolwich, and
there both at the Ropeyarde and the other yarde did much business, and
thence to Greenwich to see Mr. Pett and others value the carved work
of the "Henrietta" (God knows in an ill manner for the King), and so
to Deptford, and there viewed Sir W. Petty's vessel; which hath an
odd appearance, but not such as people do make of it, for I am of the
opinion that he would never have discoursed so much of it, if it were
not better than other vessels, and so I believe that he was abused the
other day, as he is now, by tongues that I am sure speak before they
know anything good or bad of her. I am sorry to find his ingenuity
discouraged so. So home, reading all the way a good book, and so home to
dinner, and after dinner a lesson on the globes to my wife, and so to my
office till 10 or 11 o'clock at night, and so home to supper and to bed.

23rd. Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning. At noon home
to dinner, where Mr. Hawly came to see us and dined with us, and after
we had dined came Mr. Mallard, and after he had eat something, I brought
down my vyall which he played on, the first maister that ever touched
her yet, and she proves very well and will be, I think, an admirable
instrument. He played some very fine things of his owne, but