g but only set his
hand to paper, which is but too true; and every body had a palace, and
he no house to lie in, and wished he had but as much to build him a
house with, as we have laid out in carved worke. It was to no end to
oppose, but all bore it, and after laughed at him for it. So home, and
late reading "The Siege of Rhodes" to my wife, and then to bed, my head
being in great pain and my palate still down.

24th. Up and to the office, where all the morning busy, then home to
dinner, and so after dinner comes one Phillips, who is concerned in
the Lottery, and from him I collected much concerning that business. I
carried him in my way to White Hall and set him down at Somersett House.
Among other things he told me that Monsieur Du Puy, that is so great a
man at the Duke of Yorke's, and this man's great opponent, is a knave
and by quality but a tailor. To the Tangier Committee, and there I
opposed Colonell Legg's estimate of supplies of provisions to be sent
to Tangier till all were ashamed of it, and he fain after all his good
husbandry and seeming ignorance and joy to have the King's money saved,
yet afterwards he discovered all his design to be to keep the furnishing
of these things to the officers of the Ordnance, but Mr. Coventry
seconded me, and between us we shall save the King some money in the
year. In one business of deales in L520, I offer to save L172, and yet
purpose getting money, to myself by it. So home and to my office, and
business being done home to supper and so to bed, my head and throat
being still out of order mightily. This night Prior of Brampton came and
paid me L40, and I find this poor painful man is the only thriving and
purchasing man in the town almost. We were told to-day of a Dutch ship
of 3 or 400 tons, where all the men were dead of the plague, and the
ship cast ashore at Gottenburgh.

25th (Lord's day). Up, and my throat being yet very sore, and, my head
out of order, we went not to church, but I spent all the morning reading
of "The Madd Lovers," a very good play, and at noon comes Harman and his
wife, whom I sent for to meet the Joyces, but they came not. It seems
Will has got a fall off his horse and broke his face. However, we were
as merry as I could in their company, and we had a good chine of beef,
but I had no taste nor stomach through my cold, and therefore little
pleased with my dinner. It raining, they sat talking with us all the
afternoon. So anon they went away; and t