himself to him take notice of the many places I have; and though I was
a painful man, yet the Navy was enough for any man to go through with
in his owne single place there, which much troubles me, and shall yet
provoke me to more and more care and diligence than ever. Thence home
to supper, where I find my wife and Mrs. Barbary with great colds, as I
also at this time have. This day by letter from my father he propounds
a match in the country for Pall, which pleased me well, of one that hath
seven score and odd pounds land per annum in possession, and expects
L1000 in money by the death of an old aunt. He hath neither father,
mother, sister, nor brother, but demands L600 down, and L100 on the
birth of first child, which I had some inclination to stretch to. He is
kinsman to, and lives with, Mr. Phillips, but my wife tells me he is a
drunken, ill-favoured, ill-bred country fellow, which sets me off of it
again, and I will go on with Harman. So after supper to bed.

20th. Up and to the office, where busy all the morning. At noon dined in
haste, and so my wife, Mrs. Barbary, Mercer, and I by coach to Hales's,
where I find my wife's picture now perfectly finished in all respects,
and a beautiful picture it is, as almost I ever saw. I sat again, and
had a great deale done, but, whatever the matter is, I do not fancy
that it has the ayre of my face, though it will be a very fine picture.
Thence home and to my business, being post night, and so home to supper
and to, bed.

21st. Up betimes, and first by coach to my Lord Generall to visitt
him, and then to the Duke of Yorke, where we all met and did our usual
business with him; but, Lord! how everything is yielded to presently,
even by Sir W. Coventry, that is propounded by the Duke, as now to have
Troutbecke, his old surgeon, and intended to go Surgeon-General of the
fleete, to go Physician-General of the fleete, of which there never
was any precedent in the world, and he for that to have L20 per month.
Thence with Lord Bruncker to Sir Robert Long, whom we found in his
closett, and after some discourse of business he fell to discourse at
large and pleasant, and among other things told us of the plenty of
partridges in France, where he says the King of France and his company
killed with their guns, in the plain de Versailles, 300 and odd
partridges at one bout. Thence I to the Excise Office behind the
'Change, and there find our business of our tallys in great disorder as
to