the office, and there did
a little business, and then to the 'Change and did the like. So home
to dinner, and spent all the afternoon in putting some things, pictures
especially, in order, and pasting my Lady Castlemayne's print on a
frame, which I have made handsome, and is a fine piece. So to the
office in the evening to marshall my papers of accounts presented to the
Parliament, against any future occasion to recur to them, which I did do
to my great content. So home and did some Tangier work, and so to bed.

22nd. At the office all the morning, and there come news from Hogg that
our shipp hath brought in a Lubecker to Portsmouth, likely to prove
prize, of deals, which joys us. At noon home to dinner, and then Sir W.
Pen, Sir R. Ford, and I met at Sir W. Batten's to examine our papers,
and have great hopes to prove her prize, and Sir R. Ford I find a
mighty yare--[Quick or ready, a naval term frequently used by
Shakespeare.]--man in this business, making exceeding good observations
from the papers on our behalf. Hereupon concluded what to write to Hogg
and Middleton, which I did, and also with Mr. Oviatt (Sir R. Ford's son,
who is to be our solicitor), to fee some counsel in the Admiralty, but
none in town. So home again, and after writing letters by the post,
I with all my clerks and Carcasse and Whitfield to the ticket-office,
there to be informed in the method and disorder of the office, which I
find infinite great, of infinite concernment to be mended, and did
spend till 12 at night to my great satisfaction, it being a point of our
office I was wholly unacquainted in. So with great content home and to
bed.

23rd (Lord's day). Up and alone to church, and meeting Nan Wright at the
gate had opportunity to take two or three 'baisers', and so to church,
where a vain fellow with a periwigg preached, Chaplain, as by his prayer
appeared, to the Earl of Carlisle? Home, and there dined with us Betty
Michell and her husband. After dinner to White Hall by coach, and took
them with me. And in the way I would have taken 'su main' as I did the
last time, but she did in a manner withhold it. So set them down at
White Hall, and I to the Chapel to find Dr. Gibbons, and from him to the
Harp and Ball to transcribe the treble which I would have him to set
a bass to. But this took me so much time, and it growing night, I was
fearful of missing a coach, and therefore took a coach and to rights
to call Michell and his wife at their fat