ad, and thither we went with the coach, and find it a mighty clean,
plain house, and had a dish of very good creame to our liking, and so
away presently very merry, and fell to reading of the several Advices
to a Painter, which made us good sport, and indeed are very witty, and
Creed did also repeat to me some of the substance of letters of old
Burleigh in Queen Elizabeth's time, which he hath of late read in the
printed Cabbala, which is a very fine style at this day and fit to
be imitated. With this, and talking and laughing at the folly of our
masters in the management of things at this day, we got home by noon,
where all well, and then to dinner, and after dinner both of us laid
down upon the couch and chairs and to sleep, which I did for an hour or
two, and then to the office, where I am sorry to hear that Sir J. Minnes
is likely to die this night, or to-morrow, I forgot to set down that we
met this morning upon the road with Mrs. Williams going down to my Lord
Bruncker; we bowed without speaking one to another, but I am ashamed at
the folly of the man to have her down at this serious busy time, when
the town and country is full of people and full of censure, and against
him particularly. At Sir W. Batten's my Lady tells me that she hears for
certain that my Lord's maid of his lodging here do give out that Mrs.
Williams hath been fain of late to sell her best clothes and jewels to
get a little money upon, which is a sad condition. Thence to the office,
and did write to my Lord Bruncker to give me a little satisfaction about
the certainty of the chain's being broke, which I begin to doubt, and
the more from Sir W. Pen's discourse. It is worth while to read my
letter to him entered in my letter book. Home in the evening to supper,
and so pretty betimes, about 10 o'clock, to bed, and slept well. This
day letters are come that my sister is very ill.

2nd. Up, and put on my new silke camelott suit, made of my cloak, and
suit now made into a vest. So to the office, where W. Pen and myself,
and Sir T. Harvy met, the first time we have had a meeting since the
coming of the Dutch upon this coast. Our only business (for we have
little else to do, nobody being willing to trust us for anything) was
to speak with the owners of six merchantmen which we have been taking
up this fortnight, and are yet in no readiness, they not fitting their
ships without money advanced to them, we owing them for what their ships
have earned the las