supper, and then to bed,
being both sleepy, but could get no sheets to our bed, only linen to our
mouths, and so to sleep, merrily talking of Hawkins and his wife, and
troubled that Creed did see so much of my dalliance, though very little.

JULY 1667

July 1st. Up betimes, about 9 o'clock, waked by a damned noise between
a sow gelder and a cow and a dog, nobody after we were up being able to
tell us what it was. After being ready we took coach, and, being very
sleepy, droused most part of the way to Gravesend, and there 'light, and
down to the new batterys, which are like to be very fine, and there did
hear a plain fellow cry out upon the folly of the King's officers above,
to spend so much money in works at Woolwich and Deptford, and sinking of
good ships loaden with goods, when, if half the charge had been laid out
here, it would have secured all that, and this place too, before now.
And I think it is not only true in this, but that the best of the
actions of us all are so silly, that the meanest people begin to see
through them, and contemn them. Besides, says he, they spoil the river
by it. Then informed ourselves where we might have some creame, and they
guided us to one Goody Best's, a little out of the towne towards London
road, and thither we went with the coach, and find it a mighty clean,
plain house, and had a dish of very good creame to our liking, and so
away presently very merry, and fell to reading of the several Advices
to a Painter, which made us good sport, and indeed are very witty, and
Creed did also repeat to me some of the substance of letters of old
Burleigh in Queen Elizabeth's time, which he hath of late read in the
printed Cabbala, which is a very fine style at this day and fit to
be imitated. With this, and talking and laughing at the folly of our
masters in the management of things at this day, we got home by noon,
where all well, and then to dinner, and after dinner both of us laid
down upon the couch and chairs and to sleep, which I did for an hour or
two, and then to the office, where I am sorry to hear that Sir J. Minnes
is likely to die this night, or to-morrow, I forgot to set down that we
met this morning upon the road with Mrs. Williams going down to my Lord
Bruncker; we bowed without speaking one to another, but I am ashamed at
the folly of the man to have her down at this serious busy time, when
the town and country is full of people and full of censure, and against
him par