a good while alone in the garden
about the laws of England, telling me the many faults in them; and among
others, their obscurity through multitude of long statutes, which he is
about to abstract out of all of a sort; and as he lives, and Parliaments
come, get them put into laws, and the other statutes repealed, and then
it will be a short work to know the law, which appears a very noble good
thing. By and by Sir W. Batten and Sir W. Rider met with us, and we did
something to purpose about the Chest, and hope we shall go on to do so.
They up, I to present Batty to Sir W. Pen, who at my entreaty did write
a most obliging letter to Harman to use him civilly, but the dissembling
of the rogue is such, that it do not oblige me at all. So abroad to my
ruler's of my books, having, God forgive me! a mind to see Nan there,
which I did, and so back again, and then out again to see Mrs. Bettons,
who were looking out of the window as I come through Fenchurch Streete.
So that indeed I am not, as I ought to be, able to command myself in
the pleasures of my eye. So home, and with my wife and Mercer spent our
evening upon our new leads by our bedchamber singing, while Mrs. Mary
Batelier looked out of the window to us, and we talked together, and
at last bid good night. However, my wife and I staid there talking of
several things with great pleasure till eleven o'clock at night, and it
is a convenience I would not want for any thing in the world, it being,
methinks, better than almost any roome in my house. So having, supped
upon the leads, to bed. The plague, blessed be God! is decreased sixteen
this week.

26th. To the office, where all the morning. At noon home to dinner, and
in the afternoon to my office again, where very busy all the afternoon
and particularly about fitting of Mr. Yeabsly's accounts for the view of
the Lords Commissioners for Tangier. At night home to supper and to bed.

27th. Up (taking Balty with me, who lay at my house last [night] in
order to his going away to-day to sea with the pursers of the Henery,
whom I appointed to call him), abroad to many several places about
several businesses, to my Lord Treasurer's, Westminster, and I know not
where. At noon to the 'Change a little, and there bespoke some maps to
hang in my new roome (my boy's roome) which will be very-pretty. Home to
dinner, and after dinner to the hanging up of maps, and other things
for the fitting of the roome, and now it will certainly be one