to my business in the office till
night, and then Sir W. Batten and Sir W. Pen to me, and thence to Sir W.
Batten's, and eat a barrel of oysters I did give them, and so home, and
to bed. I have this evening discoursed with W. Hewer about Mercer, I
having a mind to have her again; and I am vexed to hear him say that
she hath no mind to come again, though her mother hath. No newes of
the fleete yet, but that they went by Dover on the 25th towards the
Gunfleete, but whether the Dutch be yet abroad, or no, we hear not. De
Ruyter is not dead, but like to do well. Most think that the gross of
the French fleete are gone home again.

28th. Lay long in bed, and am come to agreement with my wife to have
Mercer again, on condition she may learn this winter two months to
dance, and she promises me she will endeavour to learn to sing, and all
this I am willing enough to. So up, and by and by the glazier comes to
finish the windows of my house, which pleases me, and the bookbinder
to gild the backs of my books. I got the glass of my book-presses to be
done presently, which did mightily content me, and to setting my study
in a little better order; and so to my office to my people, busy about
our Parliament accounts; and so to dinner, and then at them again close.
At night comes Sir W. Pen, and he and I a turn in the garden, and he
broke to me a proposition of his and my joining in a design of fetching
timber and deals from Scotland, by the help of Mr. Pett upon the place;
which, while London is building, will yield good money. I approve it. We
judged a third man, that is knowing, is necessary, and concluded on Sir
W. Warren, and sent for him to come to us to-morrow morning. I full of
this all night, and the project of our man of war; but he and, I both
dissatisfied with Sir W. Batten's proposing his son to be Lieutenant,
which we, neither of us, like. He gone, I discoursed with W. Hewer about
Mercer, having a great mind she should come to us again, and instructed
him what to say to her mother about it. And so home, to supper, and to
bed.

29th. A little meeting at the office by Sir W. Batten, Sir W. Pen, and
myself, being the first since the fire. We rose soon, and comes Sir W.
Warren, by our desire, and with Sir W. Pen and I talked of our Scotch
motion, which Sir W. Warren did seem to be stumbled at, and did give
no ready answer, but proposed some thing previous to it, which he knows
would find us work, or writing to Mr. Pett to be