home, where the little
girle hath looked to the house well, but no wife come home, which made
me begin to fear [for] her, the water being very rough, and cold and
darke. But by and by she and her company come in all well, at which I
was glad, though angry. Thence I to Sir W. Batten's, and there sat late
with him, Sir R. Ford, and Sir John Robinson; the last of whom continues
still the same foole he was, crying up what power he has in the City,
in knowing their temper, and being able to do what he will with them. It
seems the City did last night very freely lend the King L100,000
without any security but the King's word, which was very noble. But this
loggerhead and Sir R. Ford would make us believe that they did it. Now
Sir R. Ford is a cunning man, and makes a foole of the other, and the
other believes whatever the other tells him. But, Lord! to think that
such a man should be Lieutenant of the Tower, and so great a man as he
is, is a strange thing to me. With them late and then home and with my
wife to bed, after supper.

27th. Up and to the office, where all the morning busy. At noon, Sir
G. Carteret, Sir J. Minnes, Sir W. Batten, Sir W. Pen, and myself, were
treated at the Dolphin by Mr. Foly, the ironmonger, where a good plain
dinner, but I expected musique, the missing of which spoiled my dinner,
only very good merry discourse at dinner. Thence with Sir G. Carteret
by coach to White Hall to a Committee of Tangier, and thence back to
London, and 'light in Cheapside and I to Nellson's, and there met with
a rub at first, but took him out to drink, and there discoursed to my
great content so far with him that I think I shall agree with him for
Bewpers to serve the Navy with. So with great content home and to my
office, where late, and having got a great cold in my head yesterday
home to supper and to bed.

28th. Slept ill all night, having got a very great cold the other day at
Woolwich in [my] head, which makes me full of snot. Up in the morning,
and my tailor brings me home my fine, new, coloured cloth suit, my
cloake lined with plush, as good a suit as ever I wore in my life,
and mighty neat, to my great content. To my office, and there all
the morning. At noon to Nellson's, and there bought 20 pieces more of
Bewpers, and hope to go on with him to a contract. Thence to the 'Change
a little, and thence home with Luellin to dinner, where Mr. Deane met
me by appointment, and after dinner he and I up to my chamber, an