ver heard woman in my life; but
her voice not so sweet as Ianthe's; but, however, we came home mightily
contented. Here we met Mr. Pickering and his mistress, Mrs. Doll Wilde;
he tells me that the business runs high between the Chancellor and my
Lord Bristoll against the Parliament; and that my Lord Lauderdale and
Cooper open high against the Chancellor; which I am sorry for. In my
way home I 'light and to the Coffee-house, where I heard Lt. Coll. Baron
tell very good stories of his travels over the high hills in Asia above
the clouds, how clear the heaven is above them, how thicke like a mist
the way is through the cloud that wets like a sponge one's clothes,
the ground above the clouds all dry and parched, nothing in the world
growing, it being only a dry earth, yet not so hot above as below the
clouds. The stars at night most delicate bright and a fine clear blue
sky, but cannot see the earth at any time through the clouds, but the
clouds look like a world below you. Thence home and to supper, being
hungry, and so to the office, did business, specially about Creed,
for whom I am now pretty well fitted, and so home to bed. This day in
Westminster Hall W. Bowyer told me that his father is dead lately, and
died by being drowned in the river, coming over in the night; but he
says he had not been drinking. He was taken with his stick in his hand
and cloake over his shoulder, as ruddy as before he died. His horse was
taken overnight in the water, hampered in the bridle, but they were so
silly as not to look for his master till the next morning, that he was
found drowned.

2nd. Up and to the office, where, though Candlemas day, Mr. Coventry
and Sir W. Pen and I all the morning, the others being at a survey at
Deptford. At noon by coach to the 'Change with Mr. Coventry, thence to
the Coffee-house with Captain Coeke, who discoursed well of the good
effects in some kind of a Dutch warr and conquest (which I did not
consider before, but the contrary) that is, that the trade of the world
is too little for us two, therefore one must down: 2ndly, that though
our merchants will not be the better husbands by all this, yet our wool
will bear a better price by vaunting of our cloths, and by that our
tenants will be better able to pay rents, and our lands will be more
worth, and all our owne manufactures, which now the Dutch outvie us in;
that he thinks the Dutch are not in so good a condition as heretofore
because of want of men alway