s and business to dispatch this next
month also, and among others to provide for answering to the Exchequer
for my uncle's being Generall-Receiver in the year 1647, which I am at
present wholly unable to do, but I must find time to look over all his
papers.

FEBRUARY 1663-1664

February 1st. Up (my maids rising early this morning to washing), and
being ready I found Mr. Strutt the purser below with 12 bottles of
sacke, and tells me (which from Sir W. Batten I had heard before) how
young Jack Davis has railed against Sir W. Batten for his endeavouring
to turn him out of his place, at which for the fellow's sake, because it
will likely prove his ruin, I am sorry, though I do believe he is a very
arch rogue. I took Strutt by coach with me to White Hall, where I set
him down, and I to my Lord's, but found him gone out betimes to the
Wardrobe, which I am glad to see that he so attends his business, though
it troubles me that my counsel to my prejudice must be the cause of it.
They tell me that he goes into the country next week, and that the young
ladies come up this week before the old lady. Here I hear how two men
last night, justling for the wall about the New Exchange, did kill one
another, each thrusting the other through; one of them of the King's
Chappell, one Cave, and the other a retayner of my Lord Generall
Middleton's. Thence to White Hall; where, in the Duke's chamber, the
King came and stayed an hour or two laughing at Sir W. Petty, who was
there about his boat; and at Gresham College in general; at which poor
Petty was, I perceive, at some loss; but did argue discreetly, and bear
the unreasonable follies of the King's objections and other bystanders
with great discretion; and offered to take oddes against the King's best
boates; but the King would not lay, but cried him down with words
only. Gresham College he mightily laughed at, for spending time only
in weighing of ayre, and doing nothing else since they sat. Thence to
Westminster Hall, and there met with diverse people, it being terme
time. Among others I spoke with Mrs. Lane, of whom I doubted to hear
something of the effects of our last meeting about a fortnight or three
weeks ago, but to my content did not. Here I met with Mr. Pierce, who
tells me of several passages at Court, among others how the King,
coming the other day to his Theatre to see "The Indian Queene" (which he
commends for a very fine thing), my Lady Castlemaine was in the next box