er husband, and discoursed of his going to
Harwich this week to his charge of the new ship building there, which I
have got him, and so away, walked to Redriffe, and there took boat and
away home, and upon Tower Hill, near the ticket office, meeting with my
old acquaintance Mr. Chaplin, the cheesemonger, and there fell to talk of
news, and he tells me that for certain the King of France is denied
passage with his army through Flanders, and that he hears that the Dutch
do stand upon high terms with us, and will have a promise of not being
obliged to strike the flag to us before they will treat with us, and other
high things, which I am ashamed of and do hope will never be yielded to.
That they do make all imaginable preparations, but that he believes they
will be in mighty want of men; that the King of France do court us
mightily. He tells me too that our Lord-Treasurer is going to lay down,
and that Lord Arlington is to be Lord Treasurer, but I believe nothing of
it, for he is not yet of estate visible enough to have the charge I
suppose upon him. So being parted from him I home to the office, and
after having done business there I home to supper, and there mightily
pleased with my wife's beginning the flagellette, believing that she will
come to very well thereon. This day in the barge I took Berckenshaw's
translation of Alsted his Templum, but the most ridiculous book, as he has
translated it, that ever I saw in my life, I declaring that I understood
not three lines together from one end of the book to the other.

5th. Up, and to the office, where met and sat all the morning, doing
little for want of money, but only bear the countenance of an office. At
noon home to dinner, and then to the office again, and there comes Martin
my purser, and I walked with him awhile in the garden, I giving him good
advice to beware of coming any more with high demands for supernumeraries
or other things, for now Sir W. Pen is come to mind the business, the
passing of his accounts will not be so easy as the last. He tells me he
will never need it again, it being as easy, and to as much purpose to do
the same thing otherwise, and how he do keep his Captain's table, and by
that means hath the command of his Captains, and do not fear in a 5th-rate
ship constantly employed to get a L1000 in five years time, and this year,
besides all his spendings, which are I fear high, he hath got at this day
clear above L150 in a voyage of about five