ought to her
at her first coming, she being grown very weak in her judgement, and
doating again in her discourse, through age and some trouble in her
family. I left her and my wife to go abroad to buy something, and then
I to my office. In the evening by appointment to Sir W. Warren and Mr.
Deering at a taverne hard by with intent to do some good upon their
agreement in a great bargain of planks. So home to my office again, and
then to supper and to bed, my mother being in bed already.

11th. Up betimes, and at the office all the morning. At home dined, and
then to the office all day till late at night, and then home to supper,
weary with business, and to bed.

12th. Up betimes, and find myself disappointed in my receiving presently
of my L50 I hoped for sure of Mr. Warren upon the benefit of my press
warrant, but he promises to make it good. So by water to the Exchequer,
and there up and down through all the offices to strike my tallys for
L17,500, which methinks is so great a testimony of the goodness of God
to me, that I, from a mean clerke there, should come to strike tallys
myself for that sum, and in the authority that I do now, is a very
stupendous mercy to me. I shall have them struck to-morrow. But to see
how every little fellow looks after his fees, and to get what he can for
everything, is a strange consideration; the King's fees that he must pay
himself for this L17,500 coming to above L100. Thence called my wife at
Unthanke's to the New Exchange and elsewhere to buy a lace band for me,
but we did not buy, but I find it so necessary to have some handsome
clothes that I cannot but lay out some money thereupon. To the 'Change
and thence to my watchmaker, where he has put it [i.e. the watch] in
order, and a good and brave piece it is, and he tells me worth L14 which
is a greater present than I valued it. So home to dinner, and after
dinner comes several people, among others my cozen, Thomas Pepys, of
Hatcham,

[Thomas Pepys, of Hatcham Barnes, Surrey, Master of the Jewel House
to Charles II. and James II.]

to receive some money, of my Lord Sandwich's, and there I paid him what
was due to him upon my uncle's score, but, contrary to my expectation,
did get him to sign and seale to my sale of lands for payment of debts.
So that now I reckon myself in better condition by L100 in my content
than I was before, when I was liable to be called to an account and
others after me by my uncle Thomas or his ch