W. Batten's, where I found Sir W. Pen and Captain Holmes.
Here we were very merry with Sir W. Pen about the loss of his tankard,
though all be but a cheat, and he do not yet understand it; but the
tankard was stole by Sir W. Batten, and the letter, as from the
thief, wrote by me, which makes: very good sport. Here I staid all the
afternoon, and then Captain Holmes and I by coach to White Hall; in our
way, I found him by discourse, to be a great friend of my Lord's, and he
told me there was many did seek to remove him; but they were old seamen,
such as Sir J. Minnes (but he would name no more, though I do believe
Sir W. Batten is one of them that do envy him), but he says he knows
that the King do so love him, and the Duke of York too, that there is no
fear of him. He seems to be very well acquainted with the King's mind,
and with all the several factions at Court, and spoke all with so much
frankness, that I do take him to be my Lord's good friend, and one able
to do him great service, being a cunning fellow, and one (by his own
confession to me) that can put on two several faces, and look his
enemies in the face with as much love as his friends. But, good God!
what an age is this, and what a world is this! that a man cannot live
without playing the knave and dissimulation. At Whitehall we parted, and
I to Mrs. Pierce's, meeting her and Madam Clifford in the street, and
there staid talking and laughing with them a good while, and so back to
my mother's, and there supped, and so home and to bed.

2nd. In the morning to my cozen Thos. Pepys, executor, and there talked
with him about my uncle Thomas, his being in the country, but he could
not advise me to anything therein, not knowing what the other has done
in the country, and so we parted. And so to Whitehall, and there my Lord
Privy Seal, who has been out of town this week, not being yet come,
we can have no seal, and therefore meeting with Mr. Battersby the
apothecary in Fenchurch Street to the King's Apothecary's chamber in
Whitehall, and there drank a bottle or two of wine, and so he and I by
water towards London. I landed at Blackfriars and so to the Wardrobe
and dined, and then back to Whitehall with Captain Ferrers, and there
walked, and thence to Westminster Hall, where we met with Mr. Pickering,
and so all of us to the Rhenish wine house (Prior's), where the master
of the house is laying out some money in making a cellar with an arch in
his yard, which is very c