to take the ayre, he dismissed us presently without doing any
thing till to-morrow morning. So my Lord Bruncker and I down to walk in
the garden [at White Hall], it being a mighty hot and pleasant day; and
there was the King, who, among others, talked to us a little; and among
other pretty things, he swore merrily that he believed the ketch that
Sir W. Batten bought the last year at Colchester was of his own getting,
it was so thick to its length. Another pleasant thing he said of
Christopher Pett, commending him that he will not alter his moulds of
his ships upon any man's advice; "as," says he, "Commissioner Taylor I
fear do of his New London, that he makes it differ, in hopes of mending
the Old London, built by him." "For," says he, "he finds that God hath
put him into the right, and so will keep in it while he is in." "And,"
says the King, "I am sure it must be God put him in, for no art of
his owne ever could have done it;" for it seems he cannot give a good
account of what he do as an artist. Thence with my Lord Bruncker in his
coach to Hide Parke, the first time I have been there this year. There
the King was; but I was sorry to see my Lady Castlemaine, for the
mourning forceing all the ladies to go in black, with their hair plain
and without any spots, I find her to be a much more ordinary woman than
ever I durst have thought she was; and, indeed, is not so pretty as Mrs.
Stewart, whom I saw there also. Having done at the Park he set me down
at the Exchange, and I by coach home and there to my letters, and they
being done, to writing a large letter about the business of the pursers
to Sir W. Batten against to-morrow's discourse, and so home and to bed.

22nd (Lord's day). Up, and put on my new black coate, long down to my
knees, and with Sir W. Batten to White Hall, where all in deep mourning
for the Queene's mother. There had great discourse, before the Duke
and Sir W. Coventry begun the discourse of the day about the purser's
business, which I seconded, and with great liking to the Duke, whom
however afterward my Lord Bruncker and Sir W. Pen did stop by some thing
they said, though not much to the purpose, yet because our proposition
had some appearance of certain charge to the King it was ruled that for
this year we should try another the same in every respect with ours,
leaving out one circumstance of allowing the pursers the victuals of all
men short of the complement. I was very well satisfied with it and am