given her, he will
not have her take any place; for which we are both troubled, but there
is no help for it, and believing it to be a good providence of God to
prevent my running behindhand in the world, I am somewhat contented
therewith, and shall make my wife so, who, poor wretch, I know will
consider of things, though in good earnest the privacy of her life must
needs be irksome to her. So I made Gosnell and we sit up looking over
the book of Dances till 12 at night, not observing how the time went,
and so to prayers and to bed.

9th. Lay long with my wife, contenting her about the business of
Gosnell's going, and I perceive she will be contented as well as myself,
and so to the office, and after sitting all the morning in hopes to have
Mr. Coventry dine with me, he was forced to go to White Hall, and so I
dined with my own company only, taking Mr. Hater home with me, but
he, poor man, was not very well, and so could not eat any thing. After
dinner staid within all the afternoon, being vexed in my mind about the
going away of Sarah this afternoon, who cried mightily, and so was I
ready to do, and Jane did also, and then anon went Gosnell away, which
did trouble me too; though upon many considerations, it is better that
I am rid of the charge. All together makes my house appear to me very
lonely, which troubles me much, and in a melancholy humour I went to
the office, and there about business sat till I was called to Sir
G. Carteret at the Treasury office about my Lord Treasurer's letter,
wherein he puts me to a new trouble to write it over again. So home
and late with Sir John Minnes at the office looking over Mr. Creed's
accounts, and then home and to supper, and my wife and I melancholy to
bed.

10th. This morning rose, receiving a messenger from Sir G. Carteret and
a letter from Mr. Coventry, one contrary to another, about our letter to
my Lord Treasurer, at which I am troubled, but I went to Sir George, and
being desirous to please both, I think I have found out a way to do it.
So back to the office with Sir J. Minnes, in his coach, but so great a
snow that we could hardly pass the streets. So we and Sir W. Batten to
the office, and there did discourse of Mr. Creed's accounts, and I fear
it will be a good while before we shall go through them, and many things
we meet with, all of difficulty. Then to the Dolphin, where Sir J.
Minnes, Sir W. Batten, and I, did treat the Auditors of the Exchequer,
Auditors Wood an