s! This day the great newes is come of the
French, their taking the island of St. Christopher's' from us; and it
is to be feared they have done the like of all those islands thereabouts
this makes the city mad.

19th. Up, and to my office, there to fit business against the rest meet,
which they did by and by, and sat late. After the office rose (with
Creed with me) to Wm. Joyce's to dinner, being invited, and there find
my father and sister, my wife and Mercer, with them, almost dined. I
made myself as complaisant as I could till I had dined, but yet much
against my will, and so away after dinner with Creed to Penny's, my
Tailor, where I bespoke a thin stuff suit, and did spend a little time
evening some little accounts with Creed and so parted, and I to Sir. G.
Carteret's by appointment; where I perceive by him the King is going to
borrow some money of the City; but I fear it will do no good, but hurt.
He tells me how the Generall--[The Duke of Albemarle.]--is displeased,
and there have been some high words between the Generall and Sir W.
Coventry. And it may be so; for I do not find Sir W. Coventry so highly
commending the Duke as he used to be, but letting fall now and then some
little jerkes: as this day, speaking of newes from Holland, he says, "I
find their victory begins to shrinke there, as well as ours here."
Here I met with Captain Cocke, and he tells me that the first thing
the Prince said to the King upon his coming, was complaining of the
Commissioners of the Navy; that they could have been abroad in three
or four days but for us; that we do not take care of them which I am
troubled at, and do fear may in violence break out upon this office some
time or other; for we shall not be able to carry on the business. Thence
home, and at my business till late at night, then with my wife into the
garden and there sang with Mercer, whom I feel myself begin to love too
much by handling of her breasts in a' morning when she dresses me, they
being the finest that ever I saw in my life, that is the truth of it. So
home and to supper with beans and bacon and to bed.

20th. Up, but in some pain of the collique. I have of late taken too
much cold by washing my feet and going in a thin silke waistcoate,
without any other coate over it, and open-breasted, but I hope it will
go over. I did this morning (my father being to go away to-morrow) give
my father some money to buy him a horse, and for other things to himself
and my m