o was in a mighty
pleasant humour; there the Duke tells us that the Dutch do stay abroad,
and our fleet must go out again, or to be ready to do so. Here we got
several things ordered as we desired for the relief of the prisoners,
and sick and wounded men. Here I saw this week's Bill of Mortality,
wherein, blessed be God! there is above 1800 decrease, being the first
considerable decrease we have had. Back again the same way and had
most excellent discourse of Mr. Evelyn touching all manner of learning;
wherein I find him a very fine gentleman, and particularly of paynting,
in which he tells me the beautifull Mrs. Middleton is rare, and his
own wife do brave things. He brought me to the office, whither comes
unexpectedly Captain Cocke, who hath brought one parcel of our goods by
waggons, and at first resolved to have lodged them at our office; but
then the thoughts of its being the King's house altered our resolution,
and so put them at his friend's, Mr. Glanvill's, and there they are
safe. Would the rest of them were so too! In discourse, we come to
mention my profit, and he offers me L500 clear, and I demand L600 for
my certain profit. We part to-night, and I lie there at Mr. Glanvill's
house, there being none there but a maydeservant and a young man; being
in some pain, partly from not knowing what to do in this business,
having a mind to be at a certainty in my profit, and partly through his
having Jacke sicke still, and his blackemore now also fallen sicke. So
he being gone, I to bed.

28th. Up, and being mightily pleased with my night's lodging, drank a
cup of beer, and went out to my office, and there did some business, and
so took boat and down to Woolwich (having first made a visit to Madam
Williams, who is going down to my Lord Bruncker) and there dined, and
then fitted my papers and money and every thing else for a journey to
Nonsuch to-morrow. That being done I walked to Greenwich, and there to
the office pretty late expecting Captain Cocke's coming, which he
did, and so with me to my new lodging (and there I chose rather to lie
because of my interest in the goods that we have brought there to lie),
but the people were abed, so we knocked them up, and so I to bed, and
in the night was mightily troubled with a looseness (I suppose from
some fresh damp linen that I put on this night), and feeling for a
chamber-pott, there was none, I having called the mayde up out of her
bed, she had forgot I suppose to put one