his
time of the night it was no safe thing to go that road; so that I was
even afeard myself, though I appeared otherwise.--We came safe, however,
to their house, where all were abed; we knocked them up, my Lady and all
the family being in bed. So put them into doors; and leaving them with
the mayds, bade them good night, and then into the towne, Creed and I,
it being about twelve o'clock and past; and to several houses, inns, but
could get no lodging, all being in bed. At the last house, at last,
we found some people drinking and roaring; and there got in, and after
drinking, got an ill bed, where

16th. I lay in my drawers and stockings and wastecoate till five of the
clock, and so up; and being well pleased with our frolique, walked to
Knightsbridge, and there eat a messe of creame, and so to St. James's,
and there walked a little, and so I to White Hall, and took coach, and
found my wife well got home last night, and now in bed. So I to the
office, where all the morning, and at noon to the 'Change, so home and
to my office, where Mr. Ackworth came to me (though he knows himself
and I know him to be a very knave), yet he came to me to discover the
knavery of other people like the most honest man in the world. However,
good use I shall make of his discourse, for in this he is much in the
right. He being gone I to the 'Change, Mr. Creed with me, after we had
been by water to see a vessell we have hired to carry more soldiers to
Tangier, and also visited a rope ground, wherein I learnt several useful
things. The talk upon the 'Change is, that De Ruyter is dead, with
fifty men of his own ship, of the plague, at Cales: that the Holland
Embassador here do endeavour to sweeten us with fair words; and things
likely to be peaceable. Home after I had spoke with my cozen Richard
Pepys upon the 'Change, about supplying us with bewpers from Norwich,
which I should be glad of, if cheap. So home to supper and bed.

17th. Up, and to my office, where I dispatched much business, and then
down by water to Woolwich to make a discovery of a cheate providing for
us in the working of some of our own ground Tows into new cordage, to be
sold to us for Riga cordage. Thence to Mr. Falconer's, where I met Sir
W. Batten and Lady, and Captain Tinker, and there dined with them,
and so to the Dockyarde and to Deptford by water, and there very long
informing myself in the business of flags and bewpers and other things,
and so home late, being weary