morning till past noon preparing over again our report
this afternoon to the Committee of Parliament about tickets, and then
home to eat a bit, and then with Sir W. Pen to White Hall, where we did
a very little business with the Duke of York at our usual meeting, only
I perceive that he do leave all of us, as the King do those about him,
to stand and fall by ourselves, and I think is not without some cares
himself what the Parliament may do in matters wherein his honour is
concerned. Thence to the Parliament-house; where, after the Committee
was sat, I was called in; and the first thing was upon the complaint of
a dirty slut that was there, about a ticket which she had lost, and
had applied herself to me for another.... I did give them a short and
satisfactory answer to that; and so they sent her away, and were ashamed
of their foolery, in giving occasion to 500 seamen and seamen's wives to
come before them, as there was this afternoon. But then they fell to the
business of tickets, and I did give them the best answer I could, but
had not scope to do it in the methodical manner which I had prepared
myself for, but they did ask a great many broken rude questions about
it, and were mightily hot whether my Lord Bruncker had any order
to discharge whole ships by ticket, and because my answer was with
distinction, and not direct, I did perceive they were not so fully
satisfied therewith as I could wish they were. So my Lord Bruncker was
called in, and they could fasten nothing on him that I could see, nor
indeed was there any proper matter for blame, but I do see, and it was
said publicly in the House by Sir T. Clerges that Sir W. Batten had
designed the business of discharging men by ticket and an order after
the thing was done to justify my Lord Bruncker for having done it. But
this I did not owne at all, nor was it just so, though he did indeed do
something like it, yet had contributed as much to it as any man of the
board by sending down of tickets to do it. But, Lord! to see that we
should be brought to justify ourselves in a thing of necessity and
profit to the King, and of no profit or convenience to us, but the
contrary. We being withdrawn, we heard no more of it, but there staid
late and do hear no more, only my cozen Pepys do tell me that he did
hear one or two whisper as if they thought that I do bogle at the
business of my Lord Bruncker, which is a thing I neither did or have
reason to do in his favour, but I do n