contriving for the King's service
and may do myself a good office too thereby. I to dinner with Mr. Wright
to his father-in-law in Greenwich, one of the most silly, harmless,
prating old men that ever I heard in my life. Creed dined with me, and
among other discourses got of me a promise of half that he could get my
Lord Rutherford to give me upon clearing his business, which should not
be less, he says, than L50 for my half, which is a good thing, though
cunningly got of him. By and by Luellin comes, and I hope to get
something of Deering shortly. They being gone, Mr. Wright and I went
into the garden to discourse with much trouble for fear of losing all
the profit and principal of what we have laid out in buying of prize
goods, and therefore puts me upon thoughts of flinging up my interest,
but yet I shall take good advice first. Thence to the office, and after
some letters down to Woolwich, where I have not lain with my wife these
eight days I think, or more. After supper, and telling her my mind in my
trouble in what I have done as to buying' of these goods, we to bed.

27th. Up, and saw and admired my wife's picture of our Saviour,

[This picture by Mrs. Pepys may have given trouble when Pepys was
unjustifiably attacked for having Popish pictures in his house.]

now finished, which is very pretty. So by water to Greenwich, where with
Creed and Lord Rutherford, and there my Lord told me that he would
give me L100 for my pains, which pleased me well, though Creed, like
a cunning rogue, hath got a promise of half of it from me. We to the
King's Head, the great musique house, the first time I was ever there,
and had a good breakfast, and thence parted, I being much troubled to
hear from Creed, that he was told at Salsbury that I am come to be a
great swearer and drinker, though I know the contrary; but, Lord! to see
how my late little drinking of wine is taken notice of by envious men
to my disadvantage. I thence to Captain Cocke's, [and] (he not yet come
from town) to Mr. Evelyn's, where much company; and thence in his
coach with him to the Duke of Albemarle by Lambeth, who was in a mighty
pleasant humour; there the Duke tells us that the Dutch do stay abroad,
and our fleet must go out again, or to be ready to do so. Here we got
several things ordered as we desired for the relief of the prisoners,
and sick and wounded men. Here I saw this week's Bill of Mortality,
wherein, blessed be God! there is above 180