I begin to find a little convenience by holding up my head to Sir
W. Pen, for he is come to be more supple. At noon to dinner, and then
to the office again, where mighty business, doing a great deale till
midnight and then home to supper and to bed. The plague encreased this
week 29 from 28, though the total fallen from 238 to 207, which do never
a whit please me.

14th. Up, and met by 6 o'clock in my chamber Mr. Povy (from White Hall)
about evening reckonings between him and me, on our Tangier business,
and at it hard till toward eight o'clock, and he then carried me in his
chariot to White Hall, where by and by my fellow officers met me, and
we had a meeting before the Duke. Thence with my Lord Bruncker towards
London, and in our way called in Covent Garden, and took in Sir John
(formerly Dr.) Baber; who hath this humour that he will not enter into
discourse while any stranger is in company, till he be told who he is
that seems a stranger to him. This he did declare openly to me,
and asked my Lord who I was, giving this reason, that he has been
inconvenienced by being too free in discourse till he knew who all the
company were. Thence to Guildhall (in our way taking in Dr. Wilkins),
and there my Lord and I had full and large discourse with Sir Thomas
Player, the Chamberlain of the City (a man I have much heard of for his
credit and punctuality in the City, and on that score I had a desire to
be made known to him), about the credit of our tallys, which are lodged
there for security to such as should lend money thereon to the use of
the Navy. And I had great satisfaction therein: and the truth is, I find
all our matters of credit to be in an ill condition. Thence, I being in
a little haste walked before and to the 'Change a little and then home,
and presently to Trinity house to dinner, where Captain Cox made his
Elder Brother's dinner. But it seemed to me a very poor sorry dinner. I
having many things in my head rose, when my belly was full, though the
dinner not half done, and home and there to do some business, and by
and by out of doors and met Mr. Povy coming to me by appointment, but it
being a little too late, I took a little pride in the streete not to go
back with him, but prayed him to come another time, and I away to Kate
Joyce's, thinking to have spoke to her husband about Pall's business,
but a stranger, the Welsh Dr. Powell, being there I forebore and went
away and so to Hales's, to see my wife's picture,