e undertakers,
against whose interest I spoke; that I believe I shall be valued for
it. Thence into the galleries to talk with my Lord Sandwich; among other
things, about the Prince's writing up to tell us of the danger he and
his fleete lie in at Portsmouth, of receiving affronts from the Dutch;
which, my Lord said, he would never have done, had he lain there with
one ship alone: nor is there any great reason for it, because of the
sands. However, the fleete will be ordered to go and lay themselves up
at the Cowes. Much beneath the prowesse of the Prince, I think, and the
honour of the nation, at the first to be found to secure themselves. My
Lord is well pleased to think, that, if the Duke and the Prince go,
all the blame of any miscarriage will not light on him; and that if any
thing goes well, he hopes he shall have the share of the glory, for the
Prince is by no means well esteemed of by any body. Thence home, and
though not very well yet up late about the Fishery business, wherein I
hope to give an account how I find the Collections to have been managed,
which I did finish to my great content, and so home to supper and to
bed. This day the great O'Neale died; I believe, to the content of all
the Protestant pretenders in Ireland.

25th. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and finished
Sir W. Warren's great contract for timber, with great content to me,
because just in the terms I wrote last night to Sir W. Warren and
against the terms proposed by Sir W. Batten. At noon home to dinner,
and there found Creed and Hawley. After dinner comes in Mrs. Ingram, the
first time to make a visit to my wife. After a little stay I left them
and to the Committee of the Fishery, and there did make my report of the
late public collections for the Fishery, much to the satisfaction of the
Committee, and I think much to my reputation, for good notice was taken
of it and much it was commended. So home, in my way taking care of a
piece of plate for Mr. Christopher Pett, against the launching of his
new great ship tomorrow at Woolwich, which I singly did move to His
Royall Highness, and did obtain it for him, to the value of twenty
pieces. And he, under his hand, do acknowledge to me that he did never
receive so great a kindness from any man in the world as from me herein.
So to my office, and then to supper, and then to my office again, where
busy late, being very full now a days of business to my great content,
I thank G