conflict with Wood and Castle
about their New England masts? So in the evening my mind a little vexed,
but yet without reason, for I shall prevail, I hope, for the King's
profit, and so home to supper and to bed.

15th. Up and all the morning with Captain Taylor at my house talking
about things of the Navy, and among other things I showed him my letters
to Mr. Coventry, wherein he acknowledges that nobody to this day
did ever understand so much as I have done, and I believe him, for I
perceive he did very much listen to every article as things new to him,
and is contented to abide by my opinion therein in his great contest
with us about his and Mr. Wood's masts. At noon to the 'Change, where I
met with Mr. Hill, the little merchant, with whom, I perceive, I
shall contract a musical acquaintance; but I will make it as little
troublesome as I can. Home and dined, and then with my wife by coach
to the Duke's house, and there saw "The German Princess" acted, by the
woman herself; but never was any thing so well done in earnest, worse
performed in jest upon the stage; and indeed the whole play, abating the
drollery of him that acts her husband, is very simple, unless here and
there a witty sprinkle or two. We met and sat by Dr. Clerke. Thence
homewards, calling at Madam Turner's, and thence set my wife down at
my aunt Wight's and I to my office till late, and then at to at night
fetched her home, and so again to my office a little, and then to supper
and to bed.

16th. Up and to the office, where all the morning upon the dispute of
Mr. Wood's masts, and at noon with Mr. Coventry to the African House;
and after a good and pleasant dinner, up with him, Sir W. Rider, the
simple Povy, of all the most ridiculous foole that ever I knew to
attend to business, and Creed and Vernatty, about my Lord Peterborough's
accounts; but the more we look into them, the more we see of them that
makes dispute, which made us break off, and so I home, and there found
my wife and Besse gone over the water to Half-way house, and after them,
thinking to have gone to Woolwich, but it was too late, so eat a cake
and home, and thence by coach to have spoke with Tom Trice about a
letter I met with this afternoon from my cozen Scott, wherein he seems
to deny proceeding as my father's attorney in administering for him
in my brother Tom's estate, but I find him gone out of town, and so
returned vexed home and to the office, where late writing a letter to