company most
excellent in anything but business, he here giving me an account of as
many persons at Court as I had a mind or thought of enquiring after. He
tells me by a letter he showed me, that the King is not, nor hath been
of late, very well, but quite out of humour; and, as some think, in a
consumption, and weary of every thing. He showed me my Lord Arlington's
house that he was born in, in a towne called Harlington: and so carried
me through a most pleasant country to Brainford, and there put me into
my boat, and good night. So I wrapt myself warm, and by water got to
Woolwich about one in the morning, my wife and all in bed.

8th. Waked, and fell in talk with my wife about the letter, and she
satisfied me that she did not know from whence it come, but believed
it might be from her cozen Franke Moore lately come out of France. The
truth is the thing I think cannot have much in it, and being unwilling
(being in other things so much at ease) to vex myself in a strange place
at a melancholy time, passed all by and were presently friends. Up,
and several with me about business. Anon comes my Lord Bruncker, as
I expected, and we to the enquiring into the business of the late
desertion of the Shipwrights from worke, who had left us for three days
together for want of money, and upon this all the morning, and brought
it to a pretty good issue, that they, we believe, will come to-morrow to
work. To dinner, having but a mean one, yet sufficient for him, and he
well enough pleased, besides that I do not desire to vye entertainments
with him or any else. Here was Captain Cocke also, and Mr. Wayth. We
staid together talking upon one business or other all the afternoon. In
the evening my Lord Bruncker hearing that Mr. Ackeworth's clerke, the
Dutchman who writes and draws so well, was transcribing a book of Rates
and our ships for Captain Millet a gallant of his mistress's, we sent
for him for it. He would not deliver it, but said it was his mistress's
and had delivered it to her. At last we were forced to send to her for
it; she would come herself, and indeed the book was a very neat one and
worth keeping as a rarity, but we did think fit, and though much against
my will, to cancell all that he had finished of it, and did give her
the rest, which vexed her, and she bore it discreetly enough, but with
a cruel deal of malicious rancour in her looks. I must confess I would
have persuaded her to have let us have it to the office,