ved, that there are but two
seamen in the Parliament house, viz., Sir W. Batten and Sir W. Pen, and
not above twenty or thirty merchants; which is a strange thing in an
island, and no wonder that things of trade go no better nor are better
understood. Thence home, and all the afternoon at the office, only for an
hour in the evening my Lady Jemimah, Paulina, and Madam Pickering come to
see us, but my wife would not be seen, being unready. Very merry with
them; they mightily talking of their thrifty living for a fortnight before
their mother came to town, and other such simple talk, and of their merry
life at Brampton, at my father's, this winter. So they being gone, to the
office again till late, and so home and to supper and to bed.

24th. Called up by my father, poor man, coming to advise with me about
Tom's house and other matters, and he being gone I down by water to
Greenwich, it being very-foggy, and I walked very finely to Woolwich, and
there did very much business at both yards, and thence walked back,
Captain Grove with me talking, and so to Deptford and did the like-there,
and then walked to Redriffe (calling and eating a bit of collops and eggs
at Half-way house), and so home to the office, where we sat late, and home
weary to supper and to bed.

25th (Lady-day). Up and by water to White Hall, and there to chappell;
where it was most infinite full to hear Dr. Critton. Being not knowne,
some great persons in the pew I pretended to, and went in, did question my
coming in. I told them my pretence; so they turned to the orders of the
chappell, which hung behind upon the wall, and read it; and were
satisfied; but they did not demand whether I was in waiting or no; and so
I was in some fear lest he that was in waiting might come and betray me.
The Doctor preached upon the thirty-first of Jeremy, and the twenty-first
and twenty-second verses, about a woman compassing a man; meaning the
Virgin conceiving and bearing our Saviour. It was the worst sermon I ever
heard him make, I must confess; and yet it was good, and in two places
very bitter, advising the King to do as the Emperor Severus did, to hang
up a Presbyter John (a short coat and a long gowne interchangeably) in all
the Courts of England. But the story of Severus was pretty, that he
hanged up forty senators before the Senate house, and then made a speech
presently to the Senate in praise of his owne lenity; and then decreed
that never any senator afte