d it have been easily stated by any body on my
behalf but myself, several things being to be recalled to memory, which
nobody else could have done, and therefore it is fully necessary for me
to even accounts with these people as often as I can. So to the 'Change,
and there met with Mr. James Houblon, but no hopes, as he sees, of peace
whatever we pretend, but we shall be abused by the King of France. Then
home to the office, and busy late, and then to Sir W. Batten's, where
Mr. Young was talking about the building of the City again; and he told
me that those few churches that are to be new built are plainly not
chosen with regard to the convenience of the City; they stand a great
many in a cluster about Cornhill; but that all of them are either in the
gift of the Lord Archbishop, or Bishop of London, or Lord Chancellor, or
gift of the City. Thus all things, even to the building of churches, are
done in this world! And then he says, which I wonder at, that I should
not in all this time see, that Moorefields have houses two stories high
in them, and paved streets, the City having let leases for seven years,
which he do conclude will be very much to the hindering the building of
the City; but it was considered that the streets cannot be passable in
London till a whole street be built; and several that had got ground of
the City for charity, to build sheds on, had got the trick presently
to sell that for L60, which did not cost them L20 to put up; and so the
City, being very poor in stock, thought it as good to do it themselves,
and therefore let leases for seven years of the ground in Moorefields;
and a good deal of this money, thus advanced, hath been employed for
the enabling them to find some money for Commissioner Taylor, and Sir
W. Batten, towards the charge of "The Loyall London," or else, it is
feared, it had never been paid. And Taylor having a bill to pay wherein
Alderman Hooker was concerned it was his invention to find out this
way of raising money, or else this had not been thought on. So home
to supper and to bed. This morning come to me the Collectors for my
Pollmoney; for which I paid for my title as Esquire and place of Clerk
of Acts, and my head and wife's, and servants' and their wages, L40 17s;
and though this be a great deal, yet it is a shame I should pay no more;
that is, that I should not be assessed for my pay, as in the Victualling
business and Tangier; and for my money, which, of my own accord, I had