at booksellers almost
undone: not only these, but their warehouses at their Hall, and under
Christchurch, and elsewhere being all burned. A great want thereof there
will be of books, specially Latin books and foreign books; and, among
others, the Polyglottes and new Bible, which he believes will be presently
worth L40 a-piece.

6th. Up, and having seen my brother in his cassocke, which I am not the
most satisfied in, being doubtfull at this time what course to have him
profess too soon. To the office and there busy about a list of the
extraordinaries of the charge of the fleete this war; and was led to go to
the office of the ordnance to be satisfied in something, and find their
accounts and books kept in mighty good order, but that they can give no
light, nor will the nature of their affairs permit it to tell what the
charge of the ordnance comes to a man a month. So home again and to
dinner, there coming Creed to me; but what with business and my hatred to
the man, I did not spend any time with him, but after dinner [my] wife and
he and I took coach and to Westminster, but he 'light about Paul's, and
set her at her tailor's, and myself to St. James's, but there missing
[Sir] W. Coventry, returned and took up my wife, and calling at the
Exchange home, whither Sir H. Cholmly come to visit me, but my business
suffered me not to stay with him. So he gone I by water to Westminster
Hall and thence to St. James's, and there found [Sir] W. Coventry waiting
for me, and I did give him a good account to his mind of the business he
expected about extraordinaries and then fell to other talke, among others,
our sad condition contracted by want of a Comptroller;

[As Sir John Minnes performed the duties inefficiently, it was
considered necessary to take the office from him: See January 21st.]

and it was his words, that he believes, besides all the shame and trouble
he hath brought on the office, the King had better have given L100,000
than ever have had him there. He did discourse about some of these
discontented Parliament-men, and says that Birch is a false rogue, but
that Garraway is a man that hath not been well used by the Court, though
very stout to death, and hath suffered all that is possible for the King
from the beginning. But discontented as he is, yet he never knew a
Session of Parliament but he hath done some good deed for the King before
it rose. I told him the passage Cocke told me of his having be