e woman again and then went away. Then the lady and I
to very serious discourse and, among other things, of what a bonny lasse
my Lady Robinson is, who is reported to be kind to the prisoners, and
has said to Sir G. Smith, who is her great crony, "Look! there is a
pretty man, I would be content to break a commandment with him," and
such loose expressions she will have often. After an houre's talke we
to bed, the lady mightily troubled about a pretty little bitch she hath,
which is very sicke, and will eat nothing, and the worst was, I could
hear her in her chamber bemoaning the bitch, and by and by taking her
into bed with her. The bitch pissed and shit a bed, and she was fain to
rise and had coals out of my chamber to dry the bed again. This night I
had a letter that Sir G. Carteret would be in towne to-morrow, which did
much surprize me.

6th. Up, and to my office, where busy all the morning and then to dinner
to Captain Cocke's with Mr. Evelyn, where very merry, only vexed after
dinner to stay too long for our coach. At last, however, to Lambeth and
thence the Cockpitt, where we found Sir G. Carteret come, and in with
the Duke and the East India Company about settling the business of the
prizes, and they have gone through with it. Then they broke up, and Sir
G. Carteret come out, and thence through the garden to the water side
and by water I with him in his boat down with Captain Cocke to his house
at Greenwich, and while supper was getting ready Sir G. Carteret and
I did walk an houre in the garden before the house, talking of my Lord
Sandwich's business; what enemies he hath, and how they have endeavoured
to bespatter him: and particularly about his leaving of 30 ships of
the enemy, when Pen would have gone, and my Lord called him back again:
which is most false. However, he says, it was purposed by some hot-heads
in the House of Commons, at the same time when they voted a present
to the Duke of Yorke, to have voted L10,000 to the Prince, and
half-a-crowne to my Lord of Sandwich; but nothing come of it.

[The tide of popular indignation ran high against Lord Sandwich, and
he was sent to Spain as ambassador to get him honourably out of the
way (see post, December 6th).]

But, for all this, the King is most firme to my Lord, and so is my Lord
Chancellor, and my Lord Arlington. The Prince, in appearance, kind; the
Duke of Yorke silent, says no hurt; but admits others to say it in his
hearing. Sir W. P