and we
forced to 'light, and walked to Mrs. Horsfield's house, it being a long
and bad way, and dark, and having there put her in a doors, her husband
being in bed, we left her and so back to our coach, where the coachman
had put it in order, but could not find his whip in the dark a great
while, which made us stay long. At last getting a neighbour to hold
a candle out of their window Mercer found it, and so away we home at
almost 12 at night, and setting them both at their homes, I home and to
bed.

19th. Up, and called on Mr. Pierce, who tells me that after all this ado
Ward is come to town, and hath appeared to the Commissioners of Accounts
and given such answers as he thinks will do every body right, and let
the world see that their great expectations and jealousies have been
vain in this matter of the prizes. The Commissioners were mighty
inquisitive whether he was not instructed by letters or otherwise
from hence from my Lord Sandwich's friends what to say and do, and
particularly from me, which he did wholly deny, as it was true, I not
knowing the man that I know of. He tells me also that, for certain, Mr.
Vaughan is made Lord Chief justice, which I am glad of. He tells me,
too; that since my Lord of Ormond's coming over, the King begins to be
mightily reclaimed, and sups every night with great pleasure with
the Queene: and yet, it seems, he is mighty hot upon the Duchess of
Richmond; insomuch that, upon Sunday was se'nnight, at night, after he
had ordered his Guards and coach to be ready to carry him to the Park,
he did, on a sudden, take a pair of oars or sculler, and all alone, or
but one with him, go to Somersett House, and there, the garden-door not
being open, himself clamber over the walls to make a visit to her,
which is a horrid shame. He gone, I to the office, where we sat all
the morning, Sir W. Pen sick of the gout comes not out. After dinner at
home, to White Hall, it being a very rainy day, and there a Committee
for Tangier, where I was mightily pleased to see Sir W. Coventry fall
upon my Lord Bellasses' business of the 3d. in every piece of it which
he would get to himself, making the King pay 4s. 9d, while he puts them
off for 4s. 6d., so that Sir W. Coventry continues still the same man
for the King's good. But here Creed did vex me with saying that I ought
first to have my account past by the Commissioners of Tangier before in
the Exchequer. Thence W. Coventry and I in the Matted gallery, and th