of watermen to revenge the foul play, and the
butchers to defend their fellow, though most blamed him; and there they
all fell to it to knocking down and cutting many on each side. It was
pleasant to see, but that I stood in the pit, and feared that in the
tumult I might get some hurt. At last the rabble broke up, and so I away
to White Hall and so to St. James's, but I found not Sir W. Coventry, so
into the Park and took a turn or two, it being a most sweet day, and
so by water home, and with my father and wife walked in the garden, and
then anon to supper and to bed. The Duke of Cambridge very ill still.

28th. Up, and by coach to St. James's, where I find Sir W. Coventry, and
he desirous to have spoke with me. It was to read over a draught of a
letter which he hath made for his brother Commissioners and him to sign
to us, demanding an account of the whole business of the Navy accounts;
and I perceive, by the way he goes about it, that they will do admirable
things. He tells me they have chosen Sir G. Downing their Secretary, who
will be as fit a man as any in the world; and said, by the by, speaking
of the bankers being fearful of Sir G. Downing's being Secretary,
he being their enemy, that they did not intend to be ruled by their
Secretary, but do the business themselves. My heart is glad to see so
great hopes of good to the nation as will be by these men; and it do me
good to see Sir W. Coventry so cheerfull as he now is on the same score.
Thence home, and there fell to seeing my office and closet there made
soundly clean, and the windows cleaned. At which all the morning, and so
at noon to dinner. After dinner my wife away down with Jane and W. Hewer
to Woolwich, in order to a little ayre and to lie there to-night, and so
to gather May-dew to-morrow morning,

[If we are to credit the following paragraph, extracted from the
"Morning Post" of May 2nd, 1791, the virtues of May dew were then
still held in some estimation; for it records that "on the day
preceding, according to annual and superstitious custom, a number of
persons went into the fields, and bathed their faces with the dew on
the grass, under the idea that it would render them beautiful"
(Hone's "Every Day Book," vol. ii., p. 611). Aubrey speaks of May
dew as "a great dissolvent" ("Miscellanies," p. 183).--B.]

which Mrs. Turner hath taught her as the only thing in the world to wash
her face with; and I am content