me by my own coach, and busy after dinner at my office all the
afternoon till late at night, that my eyes were tired. So home, and my
wife shewed me many excellent prints of Nanteuil's and others, which W.
Batelier hath, at my desire, brought me out of France, of the King, and
Colbert, and others, most excellent, to my great content. But he hath
also brought a great many gloves perfumed, of several sorts; but all too
big by half for her, and yet she will have two or three dozen of them,
which vexed me, and made me angry. So she, at last, to please me, did
come to take what alone I thought fit, which pleased me. So, after a
little supper, to bed, my eyes being very bad.

26th. Up, and to the office, where busy sitting all the morning. Then to
the Office again, and then to White Hall, leaving my wife at Unthanke's;
and I to the Secretary's chamber, where I was, by particular order, this
day summoned to attend, as I find Sir D. Gawden also was. And here was
the King and the Cabinet met; and, being called in, among the rest I
find my Lord Privy Seale, whom I never before knew to be in so much
play, as to be of the Cabinet. The business is, that the Algerines have
broke the peace with us, by taking some Spaniards and goods out of an
English ship, which had the Duke of York's pass, of which advice come
this day; and the King is resolved to stop Sir Thomas Allen's fleete
from coming home till he hath amends made him for this affront, and
therefore sent for us to advise about victuals to be sent to that
fleete, and some more ships; wherein I answered them to what they
demanded of me, which was but some few mean things; but I see that on
all these occasions they seem to rely most upon me. And so, this being
done, I took coach and took up my wife and straight home, and there late
at the office busy, and then home, and there I find W. Batelier hath
also sent the books which I made him bring me out of France. Among
others, L'Estat, de France, Marnix, &c., to my great content; and so I
was well pleased with them, and shall take a time to look them over: as
also one or two printed musick-books of songs; but my eyes are now
too much out of tune to look upon them with any pleasure, therefore to
supper and to bed.

27th. Up, and with Sir John Minnes in his coach to White Hall, where
first we waited on the Lords of the Treasury about finishing the
Victualling Contract; and there also I was put to it to make good our
letter complaining a