setting
my papers and books in order: I home to supper and to bed.

22nd. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning. At noon comes
my uncle Thomas and his daughter Mary about getting me to pay them the
L30 due now, but payable in law to her husband. I did give them the
best answer I could, and so parted, they not desiring to stay to dinner.
After dinner I down to Deptford, and there did business, and so back to
my office, where very late busy, and so home to supper and to bed.

23rd (Lord's day). Up and to church. At noon comes unexpected Mr.
Fuller, the minister, and dines with me, and also I had invited Mr.
Cooper with one I judge come from sea, and he and I spent the whole
afternoon together, he teaching me some things in understanding of
plates. At night to the office, doing business, and then home to supper.
Then a psalm, to prayers, and to bed.

24th. Up and in Sir J. Minnes' coach (alone with Mrs. Turner as far as
Paternoster Row, where I set her down) to St. James's, and there did our
business, and I had the good lucke to speak what pleased the Duke about
our great contract in hand with Sir W. Warren against Sir W. Batten,
wherein the Duke is very earnest for our contracting. Thence home to the
office till noon, and then dined and to the 'Change and off with Sir W.
Warren for a while, consulting about managing his contract. Thence to a
Committee at White Hall of Tangier, where I had the good lucke to speak
something to very good purpose about the Mole at Tangier, which was
well received even by Sir J. Lawson and Mr. Cholmely, the undertakers,
against whose interest I spoke; that I believe I shall be valued for
it. Thence into the galleries to talk with my Lord Sandwich; among other
things, about the Prince's writing up to tell us of the danger he and
his fleete lie in at Portsmouth, of receiving affronts from the Dutch;
which, my Lord said, he would never have done, had he lain there with
one ship alone: nor is there any great reason for it, because of the
sands. However, the fleete will be ordered to go and lay themselves up
at the Cowes. Much beneath the prowesse of the Prince, I think, and the
honour of the nation, at the first to be found to secure themselves. My
Lord is well pleased to think, that, if the Duke and the Prince go,
all the blame of any miscarriage will not light on him; and that if any
thing goes well, he hopes he shall have the share of the glory, for the
Prince is by no means wel