te), and then of the whole office, in
neglecting them and the King's service, and this in very plain and sharp
and menacing terms. I did give a good account of matters according to
our computation of the expence of the fleete. I find Sir W. Coventry
willing enough to accept of any thing to confront the Generalls. But a
great supply must be made, and shall be in grace of God! But, however,
our accounts here will be found the true ones. Having done here, and
much work set me, I with greater content home than I thought I should
have done, and so to the office a while, and then home, and a while in
my new closet, which delights me every day more and more, and so late to
bed.

29th. Up betimes, and there to fit some Tangier accounts, and then, by
appointment, to my Lord Bellasses, but about Paul's thought of the chant
paper I should carry with me, and so fain to come back again, and did,
and then met with Sir W. Pen, and with him to my Lord Bellasses, he
sitting in the coach the while, while I up to my Lord and there offered
him my account of the bills of exchange I had received and paid for him,
wherein we agree all but one L200 bill of Vernatty's drawing, wherein I
doubt he hath endeavoured to cheate my Lord; but that will soon appear.
Thence took leave, and found Sir W. Pen talking to Orange Moll, of the
King's house, who, to our great comfort, told us that they begun to act
on the 18th of this month. So on to St. James's, in the way Sir W. Pen
telling me that Mr. Norton, that married Sir J. Lawson's daughter, is
dead. She left L800 a year jointure, a son to inherit the whole estate.
She freed from her father-in-law's tyranny, and is in condition to helpe
her mother, who needs it; of which I am glad, the young lady being very
pretty. To St. James's, and there Sir W. Coventry took Sir W. Pen and
me apart, and read to us his answer to the Generalls' letter to the King
that he read last night; wherein he is very plain, and states the matter
in full defence of himself and of me with him, which he could not avoid;
which is a good comfort to me, that I happen to be involved with him in
the same cause. And then, speaking of the supplies which have been made
to this fleete, more than ever in all kinds to any, even that wherein
the Duke of Yorke himself was, "Well," says he, "if this will not do, I
will say, as Sir J. Falstaffe did to the Prince, 'Tell your father, that
if he do not like this let him kill the next Piercy himself,'"