City, to keep
all quiet (he being now Generall, and having the care of all). This day,
Mercer being not at home, but against her mistress's order gone to her
mother's, and my wife going thither to speak with W. Hewer, met her
there, and was angry; and her mother saying that she was not a 'prentice
girl, to ask leave every time she goes abroad, my wife with good reason
was angry, and, when she came home, bid her be gone again. And so she
went away, which troubled me, but yet less than it would, because of the
condition we are in, fear of coming into in a little time of being less
able to keepe one in her quality. At night lay down a little upon a
quilt of W. Hewer's in the office, all my owne things being packed up
or gone; and after me my poor wife did the like, we having fed upon
the remains of yesterday's dinner, having no fire nor dishes, nor any
opportunity of dressing any thing.

4th. Up by break of day to get away the remainder of my things; which I
did by a lighter at the Iron gate and my hands so few, that it was
the afternoon before we could get them all away. Sir W. Pen and I to
Tower-streete, and there met the fire burning three or four doors beyond
Mr. Howell's, whose goods, poor man, his trayes, and dishes, shovells,
&c., were flung all along Tower-street in the kennels, and people
working therewith from one end to the other; the fire coming on in that
narrow streete, on both sides, with infinite fury. Sir W. Batten not
knowing how to remove his wine, did dig a pit in the garden, and laid
it in there; and I took the opportunity of laying all the papers of my
office that I could not otherwise dispose of. And in the evening Sir
W. Pen and I did dig another, and put our wine in it; and I my Parmazan
cheese, as well as my wine and some other things. The Duke of Yorke
was at the office this day, at Sir W. Pen's; but I happened not to
be within. This afternoon, sitting melancholy with Sir W. Pen in our
garden, and thinking of the certain burning of this office, without
extraordinary means, I did propose for the sending up of all our workmen
from Woolwich and Deptford yards (none whereof yet appeared), and to
write to Sir W. Coventry to have the Duke of Yorke's permission to pull
down houses, rather than lose this office, which would, much hinder, the
King's business. So Sir W. Pen he went down this night, in order to the
sending them up to-morrow morning; and I wrote to Sir W. Coventry about
the business, but re