sides
I believe desire peace, but neither will begin, and so I believe a warr
will follow. The Prince is with his fleet at Portsmouth, and the Dutch
are making all preparations for warr.

19th. Up and to my office all the morning. At noon dined at home;
then abroad by coach to buy for the office "Herne upon the Statute of
Charitable Uses," in order to the doing something better in the Chest
than we have done, for I am ashamed to see Sir W. Batten possess himself
so long of so much money as he hath done. Coming home, weighed, my two
silver flaggons at Stevens's. They weigh 212 oz. 27 dwt., which is about
L50, at 5s. per oz., and then they judge the fashion to be worth above
5s. per oz. more--nay, some say 10s. an ounce the fashion. But I do not
believe, but yet am sorry to see that the fashion is worth so much, and
the silver come to no more. So home and to my office, where very busy
late. My wife at Mercer's mother's, I believe, W. Hewer with them, which
I do not like, that he should ask my leave to go about business, and
then to go and spend his time in sport, and leave me here busy. To
supper and to bed, my wife coming in by and by, which though I know
there was no hurt in it; I do not like.

20th. Up and to the office, where all the morning. At noon my uncle
Thomas came, dined with me, and received some money of me. Then I to
my office, where I took in with me Bagwell's wife, and there I caressed
her, and find her every day more and more coming with good words and
promises of getting her husband a place, which I will do. So we parted,
and I to my Lord Sandwich at his lodgings, and after a little stay
away with Mr. Cholmely to Fleete Streete; in the way he telling me that
Tangier is like to be in a bad condition with this same Fitzgerald,
he being a man of no honour, nor presence, nor little honesty, and
endeavours: to raise the Irish and suppress the English interest there;
and offend every body, and do nothing that I hear of well, which I am
sorry for. Thence home, by the way taking two silver tumblers home,
which I have bought, and so home, and there late busy at my office, and
then home to supper and to bed.

21st. Up and by coach to Mr. Cole's, and there conferred with him about
some law business, and so to Sir W. Turner's, and there bought my cloth,
coloured, for a suit and cloake, to line with plush the cloak, which
will cost me money, but I find that I must go handsomely, whatever it
costs me, and the char