s
against my judgment, and I am sure against all justice to the men to
be invited to part with their goods and be deceived afterward of their
security for payment. Thence with Lord Brouncker to the Royall Society,
where they were just done; but there I was forced to subscribe to
the building of a College, and did give L40; and several others did
subscribe, some greater and some less sums; but several I saw hang
off: and I doubt it will spoil the Society, for it breeds faction and
ill-will, and becomes burdensome to some that cannot, or would not,
do it. Here, to my great content, I did try the use of the
Otacousticon,--[Ear trumpet.]--which was only a great glass bottle broke
at the bottom, putting the neck to my eare, and there I did plainly hear
the dashing of the oares of the boats in the Thames to Arundell gallery
window, which, without it, I could not in the least do, and may, I
believe, be improved to a great height, which I am mighty glad of.
Thence with Lord Brouncker and several of them to the King's Head
Taverne by Chancery Lane, and there did drink and eat and talk, and,
above the rest, I did hear of Mr. Hooke and my Lord an account of the
reason of concords and discords in musique, which they say is from the
equality of vibrations; but I am not satisfied in it, but will at my
leisure think of it more, and see how far that do go to explain it. So
late at night home with Mr. Colwell, and parted, and I to the office,
and then to Sir W. Pen to confer with him, and Sir R. Ford and Young,
about our St. John Baptist prize, and so home, without more supper to
bed, my family being now little by the departure of my wife and two
maids.

3rd. Up, and Captain Perryman come to me to tell me how Tatnell told him
that this day one How is to charge me before the Commissioners of
Prizes to the value of L8000 in prizes, which I was troubled to hear, so
fearful I am, though I know that there is not a penny to be laid to my
charge that I dare not own, or that I have not owned under my hand, but
upon recollection it signifies nothing to me, and so I value it not,
being sure that I can have nothing in the world to my hurt known from
the business. So to the office, where all the morning to despatch
business, and so home to dinner with my clerks, whose company is of
great pleasure to me for their good discourse in any thing of the navy
I have a mind to talk of. After dinner by water from the Tower to White
Hall, there to attend the