pon the Duke of York, where, upon discoursing something touching
the Ticket-Office, which by letter the Board did give the Duke of York
their advice, to be put upon Lord Brouncker, Sir J. Minnes did foolishly
rise up and complain of the Office, and his being made nothing of; and
this before Sir Thomas Littleton, who would be glad of this difference
among us, which did trouble me mightily; and therefore I did forbear to
say what I otherwise would have thought fit for me to say on this
occasion, upon so impertinent a speech as this doting fool made--but, I
say, I let it alone, and contented myself that it went as I advised, as to
the Duke of York's judgment, in the thing disputed. And so thence away,
my coach meeting me there and carrying me to several places to do little
jobs, which is a mighty convenience, and so home, where by invitation I
find my aunt Wight, who looked over all our house, and is mighty pleased
with it, and indeed it is now mighty handsome, and rich in furniture. By
and by comes my uncle, and then to dinner, where a venison pasty and very
merry, and after dinner I carried my wife and her to Smithfield, where
they sit in the coach, while Mr. Pickering, who meets me there, and I, and
W. Hewer, and a friend of his, a jockey, did go about to see several pairs
of horses, for my coach; but it was late, and we agreed on none, but left
it to another time: but here I do see instances of a piece of craft and
cunning that I never dreamed of, concerning the buying and choosing of
horses. So Mr. Pickering, to whom I am much beholden for his kindness
herein, and I parted; and I with my people home, where I left them, and I
to the office, to meet about some business of Sir W. Warren's accounts,
where I vexed to see how ill all the Comptroller's business is likely to
go on, so long as ever Sir J. Minnes lives; and so troubled I was, that I
thought it a good occasion for me to give my thoughts of it in writing,
and therefore wrote a letter at the Board, by the help of a tube, to Lord
Brouncker, and did give it him, which I kept a copy of, and it may be of
use to me hereafter to shew, in this matter. This being done, I home to
my aunt, who supped with us, and my uncle also: and a good-humoured woman
she is, so that I think we shall keep her acquaintance; but mighty proud
she is of her wedding-ring, being lately set with diamonds; cost her about
L12: and I did commend it mightily to her, but do not think it very
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