o the office, where all the
morning busy, and among other things Mr. Barber come to me (one of the
clerks of the Ticket office) to get me to sign some tickets, and told me
that all the discourse yesterday, about that part of the town where he
was, was that Mr. Pett and I were in the Tower; and I did hear the
same before. At noon, home to dinner, and there my wife and I very good
friends; the care of my gold being somewhat over, considering it was in
their hands that have as much cause to secure it as myself almost, and
so if they will be mad, let them. But yet I do intend to, send for it
away. Here dined Mercer with us, and after dinner she cut my hair, and
then I into my closet and there slept a little, as I do now almost every
day after dinner; and then, after dallying a little with Nell, which I
am ashamed to think of, away to the office. Busy all the afternoon; in
the evening did treat with, and in the end agree; but by some kind of
compulsion, with the owners of six merchant ships, to serve the King as
men-of-war. But, Lord! to see how against the hair it is with these men
and every body to trust us and the King; and how unreasonable it is to
expect they should be willing to lend their ships, and lay out 2 or L300
a man to fit their ships for new voyages, when we have not paid them
half of what we owe them for their old services! I did write so to Sir
W. Coventry this night. At night my wife and I to walk and talk
again about our gold, which I am not quiet in my mind to be safe, and
therefore will think of some way to remove it, it troubling me very
much. So home with my wife to supper and to bed, miserable hot weather
all night it was.

21st. Up and by water to White Hall, there to discourse with [Sir] G.
Carteret and Mr. Fenn about office business. I found them all aground,
and no money to do anything with. Thence homewards, calling at my
Tailor's to bespeak some coloured clothes, and thence to Hercules
Pillars, all alone, and there spent 6d. on myself, and so home and
busy all the morning. At noon to dinner, home, where my wife shows me a
letter from her father, who is going over sea, and this afternoon would
take his leave of her. I sent him by her three Jacobuses in gold,
having real pity for him and her. So I to my office, and there all the
afternoon. This day comes news from Harwich that the Dutch fleete are
all in sight, near 100 sail great and small, they think, coming towards
them; where, they think, they