stance of their little progress, he tells me
that my Lord of Ormond is like yet to carry it, and to continue in his
command in Ireland; at least, they cannot get the better of him yet. But
he tells me that the Keeper is wrought upon, as they say, to give his
opinion for the dissolving of the Parliament, which, he thinks, will
undo him in the eyes of the people. He do not seem to own the hearing
or fearing of any thing to be done in the Admiralty, to the lessening of
the Duke of York, though he hears how the town talk's full of it. Thence
I by coach home, and there find my cozen Roger come to dine with me, and
to seal his mortgage for the L500 I lend him; but he and I first walked
to the 'Change, there to look for my uncle Wight, and get him to dinner
with us. So home, buying a barrel of oysters at my old oyster-woman's,
in Gracious Street, but over the way to where she kept her shop before.
So home, and there merry at dinner; and the money not being ready, I
carried Roger Pepys to Holborn Conduit, and there left him going to
Stradwick's, whom we avoided to see, because of our long absence, and my
wife and I to the Duke of York's house, to see "The Duchesse of Malfy,"
a sorry play, and sat with little pleasure, for fear of my wife's seeing
me look about, and so I was uneasy all the while, though I desire and
resolve never to give her trouble of that kind more. So home, and there
busy at the Office a while, and then home, where my wife to read to me,
and so to supper, and to bed. This evening, to my great content, I got
Sir Richard Ford to give me leave to set my coach in his yard.

26th. Up, and at the Office all the morning, where I was to have
delivered the Duke of York's letter of advice to the Board, in answer
to our several answers to his great letter; but Lord Brouncker not being
there, and doubtful to deliver it before the new Treasurers, I forbore
it to next sitting. So home at noon to dinner, where I find Mr. Pierce
and his wife but I was forced to shew very little pleasure in her being
there because of my vow to my wife; and therefore was glad of a very bad
occasion for my being really troubled, which is, at W. Hewer's losing
of a tally of L1000, which I sent him this day to receive of the
Commissioners of Excise. So that though I hope at the worst I shall be
able to get another, yet I made use of this to get away as soon as I had
dined, and therefore out with him to the Excise Office to make a stop of
its payme