lend, since I must lend, L300, though, God knows! it is much
against my will to lend any, unless things were in better condition, and
likely to continue so. Thence home and there to dinner, and after dinner
by coach out again, setting my wife down at Unthanke's, and I to the
Treasury-chamber, where I waited, talking with Sir G. Downing, till the
Lords met. He tells me how he will make all the Exchequer officers, of
one side and t'other, to lend the King money upon the Act; and that the
least clerk shall lend money, and he believes the least will L100: but
this I do not believe. He made me almost ashamed that we of the Navy had
not in all this time lent any; so that I find it necessary I should, and
so will speedily do it, before any of my fellows begin, and lead me to a
bigger sum. By and by the Lords come; and I perceive Sir W. Coventry is
the man, and nothing done till he comes. Among other things, I hear him
observe, looking over a paper, that Sir John Shaw is a miracle of a man,
for he thinks he executes more places than any man in England; for there
he finds him a Surveyor of some of the King's woods, and so reckoned up
many other places, the most inconsistent in the world. Their business
with me was to consider how to assigne such of our commanders as will
take assignements upon the Act for their wages; and the consideration
thereof was referred to me to give them an answer the next sitting:
which is a horrid poor thing: but they scruple at nothing of honour in
the case. So away hence, and called my wife, and to the King's house,
and saw "The Mayden Queene," which pleases us mightily; and then away,
and took up Mrs. Turner at her door, and so to Mile End, and there
drank, and so back to her house, it being a fine evening, and there
supped. The first time I ever was there since they lived there; and she
hath all things so neat and well done, that I am mightily pleased with
her, and all she do. So here very merry, and then home and to bed, my
eyes being very bad. I find most people pleased with their being at
ease, and safe of a peace, that they may know no more charge or hazard
of an ill-managed war: but nobody speaking of the peace with any content
or pleasure, but are silent in it, as of a thing they are ashamed of;
no, not at Court, much less in the City.

24th (St. Bartholomew's day). This morning was proclaimed the peace
between us and the States of the United Provinces, and also of the King
of France and Denm