John Talbot, who talks mighty high for my Lord of
Ormond: and I perceive this family of the Talbots hath been raised by my
Lord. When I come home to-night I find Deb. not come home, and do doubt
whether she be not quite gone or no, but my wife is silent to me in it,
and I to her, but fell to other discourse, and indeed am well satisfied
that my house will never be at peace between my wife and I unless I let
her go, though it grieves me to the heart. My wife and I spent much time
this evening talking of our being put out of the Office, and my going to
live at Deptford at her brother's, till I can clear my accounts, and rid
my hands of the town, which will take me a year or more, and I do think
it will be best for me to do so, in order to our living cheap, and out
of sight.

5th. Up, and Willet come home in the morning, and, God forgive me! I
could not conceal my content thereat by smiling, and my wife observed
it, but I said nothing, nor she, but away to the office. Presently up
by water to White Hall, and there all of us to wait on the Duke of York,
which we did, having little to do, and then I up and down the house,
till by and by the Duke of York, who had bid me stay, did come to his
closet again, and there did call in me and Mr. Wren; and there my paper,
that I have lately taken pains to draw up, was read, and the Duke of
York pleased therewith; and we did all along conclude upon answers to
my mind for the Board, and that that, if put in execution, will do the
King's business. But I do now more and more perceive the Duke of York's
trouble, and that he do lie under great weight of mind from the Duke
of Buckingham's carrying things against him; and particularly when I
advised that he would use his interest that a seaman might come into the
room of W. Pen, who is now declared to be gone from us to that of the
Victualling, and did shew how the Office would now be left without one
seaman in it, but the Surveyour and the Controller, who is so old as
to be able to do nothing, he told me plainly that I knew his mind well
enough as to seamen, but that it must be as others will. And Wren did
tell it me as a secret, that when the Duke of York did first tell the
King about Sir W. Pen's leaving of the place, and that when the Duke of
York did move the King that either Captain Cox or Sir Jer. Smith might
succeed him, the King did tell him that that was a matter fit to be
considered of, and would not agree to either presently; and