ghtily hot whether my Lord Bruncker had any order
to discharge whole ships by ticket, and because my answer was with
distinction, and not direct, I did perceive they were not so fully
satisfied therewith as I could wish they were. So my Lord Bruncker was
called in, and they could fasten nothing on him that I could see, nor
indeed was there any proper matter for blame, but I do see, and it was
said publicly in the House by Sir T. Clerges that Sir W. Batten had
designed the business of discharging men by ticket and an order after
the thing was done to justify my Lord Bruncker for having done it. But
this I did not owne at all, nor was it just so, though he did indeed do
something like it, yet had contributed as much to it as any man of the
board by sending down of tickets to do it. But, Lord! to see that we
should be brought to justify ourselves in a thing of necessity and
profit to the King, and of no profit or convenience to us, but the
contrary. We being withdrawn, we heard no more of it, but there staid
late and do hear no more, only my cozen Pepys do tell me that he did
hear one or two whisper as if they thought that I do bogle at the
business of my Lord Bruncker, which is a thing I neither did or have
reason to do in his favour, but I do not think it fit to make him suffer
for a thing that deserves well. But this do trouble me a little that
anything should stick to my prejudice in any of them, and did trouble
me so much that all the way home with Sir W. Pen I was not at good ease,
nor all night, though when I come home I did find my wife, and Betty
Turner, the two Mercers, and Mrs. Parker, an ugly lass, but yet dances
well, and speaks the best of them, and W. Batelier, and Pembleton
dancing; and here I danced with them, and had a good supper, and as
merry as I could be, and so they being gone we to bed.

31st. Up, and all the morning at the office, and at noon Mr. Creed and
Yeabsly dined with me (my wife gone to dine with Mrs. Pierce and see
a play with her), and after dinner in comes Mr. Turner, of Eynsbury,
lately come to town, and also after him Captain Hill of the "Coventry,"
who lost her at Barbadoes, and is come out of France, where he hath
been long prisoner. After a great deal of mixed discourse, and then Mr.
Turner and I alone a little in my closet, talking about my Lord Sandwich
(who I hear is now ordered by the King to come home again), we all
parted, and I by water, calling at Michell's, and saw and once