else might be found for the King, and people be enjoyned to
buy off this tax of Chimney-money for ever at eight years' purchase,
which will raise present money, as they think, L1,600,000, and the State
be eased of an ill burthen and the King be supplied of something as food
or better for his use. The House seems to like this, and put off the
debate to to-morrow.

16th. Up, and to the office, where sat to do little business but hear
clamours for money. At noon home to dinner, and to the office again,
after hearing my brother play a little upon the Lyra viall, which he do
so as to show that he hath a love to musique and a spirit for it, which
I am well pleased with. All the afternoon at the office, and at night
with Sir W. Batten, Sir W. Pen, [and Sir] J. Minnes, at [Sir] W. Pen's
lodgings, advising about business and orders fit presently to make about
discharging of ships come into the river, and which to pay first, and
many things in order thereto. But it vexed me that, it being now past
seven o'clock, and the businesses of great weight, and I had done them
by eight o'clock, and sending them to be signed, they were all gone to
bed, and Sir W. Pen, though awake, would not, being in bed, have them
brought to him to sign; this made me quite angry. Late at work at the
office, and then home to supper and to bed. Not come to any resolution
at the Parliament to-day about the manner of raising this L1,800,000.

17th. Up, and busy about public and private business all the morning at
the office. At noon home to dinner, alone with my brother, with whom I
had now the first private talke I have had, and find he hath
preached but twice in his life. I did give him some advice to study
pronunciation; but I do fear he will never make a good speaker, nor, I
fear, any general good scholar, for I do not see that he minds optickes
or mathematiques of any sort, nor anything else that I can find. I know
not what he may be at divinity and ordinary school-learning. However, he
seems sober, and that pleases me. After dinner took him and my wife and
Barker (for so is our new woman called, and is yet but a sorry girle),
and set them down at Unthanke's, and so to White Hall, and there find
some of my brethren with the Duke of York, but so few I put off the
meeting. So staid and heard the Duke discourse, which he did mighty
scurrilously, of the French, and with reason, that they should give
Beaufort orders when he was to bring, and did bring, his f