of mind and spirit I fell about the auditing of Mr. Shepley's last
accounts with my Lord by my Lord's desire, and about that I sat till
12 o'clock at night, till I began to doze, and so to bed, with my heart
praising God for his mercy to us.

30th (Office day). To the office, where Sir G. Carteret did give us an
account how Mr. Holland do intend to prevail with the Parliament to try
his project of discharging the seamen all at present by ticket, and so
promise interest to all men that will lend money upon them at eight per
cent., for so long as they are unpaid; whereby he do think to take away
the growing debt, which do now lie upon the kingdom for lack of present
money to discharge the seamen. But this we are, troubled at as some
diminution to us. I having two barrels of oysters at home, I caused one
of them and some wine to be brought to the inner room in the office, and
there the Principal Officers did go and eat them. So we sat till noon,
and then to dinner, and to it again in the afternoon till night. At
home I sent for Mr. Hater, and broke the other barrel with him, and did
afterwards sit down discoursing of sea terms to learn of him. And he
being gone I went up and sat till twelve at night again to make an end
of my Lord's accounts, as I did the last night. Which at last I made a
good end of, and so to bed.

DECEMBER 1660

December 1st. This morning, observing some things to be laid up not as
they should be by the girl, I took a broom and basted her till she
cried extremely, which made me vexed, but before I went out I left her
appeased. So to Whitehall, where I found Mr. Moore attending for me at
the Privy Seal, but nothing to do to-day. I went to my Lord St. Albans
lodgings, and found him in bed, talking to a priest (he looked like one)
that leaned along over the side of the bed, and there I desired to know
his mind about making the catch stay longer, which I got ready for him
the other day. He seems to be a fine civil gentleman. To my Lord's, and
did give up my audit of his accounts, which I had been then two days
about, and was well received by my Lord. I dined with my Lord and Lady,
and we had a venison pasty. Mr. Shepley and I went into London, and
calling upon Mr. Pinkney, the goldsmith, he took us to the tavern, and
gave us a pint of wine, and there fell into our company old Mr. Flower
and another gentleman; who tell us how a Scotch knight was killed basely
the other day at the Fleece in Covent G