nd
found my wife well got home last night, and now in bed. So I to the
office, where all the morning, and at noon to the 'Change, so home and
to my office, where Mr. Ackworth came to me (though he knows himself
and I know him to be a very knave), yet he came to me to discover the
knavery of other people like the most honest man in the world. However,
good use I shall make of his discourse, for in this he is much in the
right. He being gone I to the 'Change, Mr. Creed with me, after we had
been by water to see a vessell we have hired to carry more soldiers to
Tangier, and also visited a rope ground, wherein I learnt several useful
things. The talk upon the 'Change is, that De Ruyter is dead, with
fifty men of his own ship, of the plague, at Cales: that the Holland
Embassador here do endeavour to sweeten us with fair words; and things
likely to be peaceable. Home after I had spoke with my cozen Richard
Pepys upon the 'Change, about supplying us with bewpers from Norwich,
which I should be glad of, if cheap. So home to supper and bed.

17th. Up, and to my office, where I dispatched much business, and then
down by water to Woolwich to make a discovery of a cheate providing for
us in the working of some of our own ground Tows into new cordage, to be
sold to us for Riga cordage. Thence to Mr. Falconer's, where I met Sir
W. Batten and Lady, and Captain Tinker, and there dined with them,
and so to the Dockyarde and to Deptford by water, and there very long
informing myself in the business of flags and bewpers and other things,
and so home late, being weary, and full of good information to-day, but
I perceive the corruptions of the Navy are of so many kinds that it is
endless to look after them, especially while such a one as Sir W. Batten
discourages every man that is honest. So home to my office, there very
late, and then to supper and to bed mightily troubled in my mind to hear
how Sir W. Batten and Sir J. Minnes do labour all they can to abuse or
enable others to abuse the King.

18th. From morning till 11 at night (only a little at dinner at home)
at my office very busy, setting many businesses in order to my great
trouble, but great content in the end. So home to supper and to bed.
Strange to see how pert Sir W. Pen is to-day newly come from Portsmouth
with his head full of great reports of his service and the state of the
ships there. When that is over he will be just as another man again or
worse. But I wonder whence Mr