to a Committee of Tangier, where,
among other things, a silly account of a falling out between Norwood,
at Tangier, and Mr. Bland, the mayor, who is fled to Cales [Cadiz]. His
complaint is ill-worded, and the other's defence the most ridiculous
that ever I saw; and so everybody else that was there, thought it;
but never did I see so great an instance of the use of grammar, and
knowledge how to tell a man's tale as this day, Bland having spoiled his
business by ill-telling it, who had work to have made himself notorious
by his mastering Norwood, his enemy, if he had known how to have used
it. Thence calling Smith, the Auditor's clerk at the Temple, I by the
Exchange home, and there looked over my Tangier accounts with him, and
so to dinner, and then set him down again by a hackney, my coachman
being this day about breaking of my horses to the coach, they having
never yet drawn. Left my wife at Unthank's, and I to the Treasury, where
we waited on the Lords Commissioners about Sir D. Gawden's matters, and
so took her up again at night, and home to the office, and so home with
W. Hewer, and to talk about our quarrel with Middleton, and so to supper
and to bed. This day I hear, and am glad, that the King hath prorogued
the Parliament to October next; and, among other reasons, it will give
me time to go to France, I hope.

15th. Up, and to the Office, where sat all the morning, and the new
Treasurers there; and, for my life, I cannot keep Sir J. Minnes and
others of the Board from shewing our weakness, to the dishonour of the
Board, though I am not concerned but it do vex me to the heart to
have it before these people, that would be glad to find out all our
weaknesses. At noon Mrs. Mary Batelier with us, and so, after dinner,
I with W. Hewer all the afternoon till night beginning to draw up our
answer to Middleton, and it proves troublesome, because I have so much
in my head at a time to say, but I must go through with it. So at night
to supper and to bed.

16th. I did the like all day long, only a little at dinner, and so to
work again, and were at it till 2 in the morning, and so W. Hewer, who
was with me all day, home to his lodging, and I to bed, after we had
finished it.

17th. Up, and set my man Gibson and Mr. Fists to work to write it over
fair, while I all the morning at the office sitting. At noon home to
them, and all the afternoon looking over them and examining with W.
Hewer, and so about to at night I to bed,