he form of the Court Merchant. That being done Sir W. Coventry
took me into the gallery, and walked with me an hour, discoursing of
Navy business, and with much kindness to, and confidence in, me still;
which I must endeavour to preserve, and will do; and, good man! all his
care how to get the Navy paid off, and that all other things therein may
go well. He gone, I thence to my Lady Peterborough, who sent for me; and
with her an hour talking about her husband's pension, and how she hath
got an order for its being paid again; though, I believe, for all that
order, it will hardly be; but of that I said nothing; but her design is
to get it paid again: and how to raise money upon it, to clear it from
the engagement which lies upon it to some citizens, who lent her husband
money, without her knowledge, upon it, to vast loss. She intends to
force them to take their money again, and release her husband of those
hard terms. The woman is a very wise woman, and is very plain in telling
me how her plate and jewels are at pawne for money, and how they are
forced to live beyond their estate, and do get nothing by his being a
courtier. The lady I pity, and her family. Having done with her, and
drunk two glasses of her meade, which she did give me, and so to the
Treasurer's Office, and there find my Lord Bruncker and [Sir] W. Pen at
dinner with Sir G. Carteret about his accounts, where I dined and talked
and settled some business, and then home, and there took out my wife and
Willet, thinking to have gone to a play, but both houses were begun, and
so we to the 'Change, and thence to my tailor's, and there, the coachman
desiring to go home to change his horses, we went with him into a nasty
end of all St. Giles's, and there went into a nasty room, a chamber of
his, where he hath a wife and child, and there staid, it growing dark
too, and I angry thereat, till he shifted his horses, and then home
apace, and there I to business late, and so home, to supper, and walk
in the garden with my wife and girle, with whom we are mightily pleased,
and after talking and supping, to bed. This noon, going home, I did call
on Will Lincolne and agree with him to carry me to Brampton.

4th. Up, and to White Hall to attend the Council about Commissioner
Pett's business, along with my Lord Bruncker and Sir W. Pen, and in the
Robe-chamber the Duke of York come to us, the officers of the Navy, and
there did meet together about Navy business, where Sir W. Cove