wife's and my great content, and we hope to take mighty pleasure in
her, she having all the marks and qualities of a good and loving and
honest servant, she coming by force away from the other place, where
she hath lived ever since she went from us, and at our desire, her late
mistresse having used all the stratagems she could to keepe her.

30th. My wife and I mighty pleased with Jane's coming to us again. Up,
and away goes Alce, our cooke-mayde, a good servant, whom we loved and
did well by her, and she an excellent servant, but would not bear being
told of any faulte in the fewest and kindest words and would go away of
her owne accord, after having given her mistresse warning fickly for
a quarter of a yeare together. So we shall take another girle and make
little Jane our cook, at least, make a trial of it. Up, and after much
business I out to Lumbard Streete, and there received L2200 and brought
it home; and, contrary to expectation, received L35 for the use of L2000
of it [for] a quarter of a year, where it hath produced me this profit,
and hath been a convenience to me as to care and security of my house,
and demandable at two days' warning, as this hath been. This morning
Sir W. Warren come to me a second time about having L2000 of me upon
his bills on the Act to enable him to pay for the ships he is buying,
wherein I shall have considerable profit. I am loth to do it, but yet
speaking with Colvill I do not see but I shall be able to do it and get
money by it too. Thence home and eat one mouthful, and so to Hales's,
and there sat till almost quite darke upon working my gowne, which I
hired to be drawn in; an Indian gowne, and I do see all the reason
to expect a most excellent picture of it. So home and to my private
accounts in my chamber till past one in the morning, and so to bed, with
my head full of thoughts for my evening of all my accounts tomorrow, the
latter end of the month, in which God give me good issue, for I never
was in such a confusion in my life and that in great sums.

31st All the morning at the office busy. At noon to dinner, and thence
to the office and did my business there as soon as I could, and then
home and to my accounts, where very late at them, but, Lord! what a
deale of do I have to understand any part of them, and in short do what
I could, I could not come to any understanding of them, but after I had
throughly wearied myself, I was forced to go to bed and leave them much
against my