[Sir]
W. Coventry and Sir John Duncombe, who do declare that they cannot find
the money we demand, and we that less than what we demand will not set
out the fleet intended, and so broke up, with no other conclusion than
that they would let us have what they could get and we would improve
that as well as we could. So God bless us, and prepare us against the
consequences of these matters. Thence, it being a cold wet day, I
home with Sir J. Minnes in his coach, and called by the way at my
bookseller's and took home with me Kercher's Musurgia--very well bound,
but I had no comfort to look upon them, but as soon as I come home fell
to my work at the office, shutting the doors, that we, I and my clerks,
might not be interrupted, and so, only with room for a little dinner,
we very busy all the day till night that the officers met for me to
give them the heads of what I intended to say, which I did with great
discontent to see them all rely on me that have no reason at all to
trouble myself about it, nor have any thanks from them for my labour,
but contrarily Brouncker looked mighty dogged, as thinking that I did
not intend to do it so as to save him. This troubled me so much as,
together with the shortness of the time and muchness of the business,
did let me be at it till but about ten at night, and then quite weary,
and dull, and vexed, I could go no further, but resolved to leave the
rest to to-morrow morning, and so in full discontent and weariness did
give over and went home, with[out] supper vexed and sickish to bed,
and there slept about three hours, but then waked, and never in so much
trouble in all my life of mind, thinking of the task I have upon me, and
upon what dissatisfactory grounds, and what the issue of it may be to
me.

5th. With these thoughts I lay troubling myself till six o'clock,
restless, and at last getting my wife to talk to me to comfort me, which
she at last did, and made me resolve to quit my hands of this Office,
and endure the trouble of it no longer than till I can clear myself of
it. So with great trouble, but yet with some ease, from this discourse
with my wife, I up, and to my Office, whither come my clerks, and so I
did huddle the best I could some more notes for my discourse to-day, and
by nine o'clock was ready, and did go down to the Old Swan, and there
by boat, with T. H[ater] and W. H[ewer] with me, to Westminster, where I
found myself come time enough, and my brethren all ready. But I