nd there
with our Proctors to Dr. Walker, who was not very well, but, however,
did hear our matters, and after a dull seeming hearing of them read,
did discourse most understandingly of them, as well as ever I heard man,
telling us all our grounds of pretence to the prize would do no good,
and made it appear but thus, and thus, it may be, but yet did give us
but little reason to expect it would prove, which troubled us, but I
was mightily taken to hear his manner of discourse. Thence with them to
Westminster Hall, they setting me down at White Hall, where I missed of
finding Sir G. Carteret, up to the Lords' House, and there come mighty
seasonably to hear the Solicitor about my Lord Buckingham's pretence to
the title of Lord Rosse. Mr. Atturny Montagu is also a good man, and
so is old Sir P. Ball; but the Solicitor and Scroggs after him are
excellent men. Here spoke with my Lord Bellasses about getting some
money for Tangier, which he doubts we shall not be able to do out of the
Poll Bill, it being so strictly tied for the Navy. He tells me the Lords
have passed the Bill for the accounts with some little amendments. So
down to the Hall, and thence with our company to Exeter House, and then
did the business I have said before, we doing nothing the first time of
going, it being too early. At home find Lovett, to whom I did give my
Lady Castlemayne's head to do. He is talking of going into Spayne to get
money by his art, but I doubt he will do no good, he being a man of an
unsettled head. Thence by water down to Deptford, the first time I have
been by water a great while, and there did some little business and
walked home, and there come into my company three drunken seamen, but
one especially, who told me such stories, calling me Captain, as made me
mighty merry, and they would leap and skip, and kiss what mayds they met
all the way. I did at first give them money to drink, lest they should
know who I was, and so become troublesome to me. Parted at Redriffe, and
there home and to the office, where did much business, and then to
Sir W. Batten's, where [Sir] W. Pen, [Sir] R. Ford, and I to hear
a proposition [Sir] R. Ford was to acquaint us with from the Swedes
Embassador, in manner of saying, that for money he might be got to our
side and relinquish the trouble he may give us. Sir W. Pen did make a
long simple declaration of his resolution to give nothing to deceive any
poor man of what was his right by law, but ended in doi