angry about her desiring a mayde yet, before the plague is quite over. It
seems Mercer is troubled that she hath not one under her, but I will not
venture my family by increasing it before it be safe. Thence about many
businesses, particularly with Sir W. Warren on the 'Change, and he and I
dined together and settled our Tangier matters, wherein I get above L200
presently. We dined together at the Pope's Head to do this, and thence to
the goldsmiths, I to examine the state of my matters there too, and so
with him to my house, but my wife was gone abroad to Mrs. Mercer's, so we
took boat, and it being darke and the thaw having broke the ice, but not
carried it quite away, the boat did pass through so much of it all along,
and that with the crackling and noise that it made me fearfull indeed. So
I forced the watermen to land us on Redriffe side, and so walked together
till Sir W. Warren and I parted near his house and thence I walked quite
over the fields home by light of linke, one of my watermen carrying it,
and I reading by the light of it, it being a very fine, clear, dry night.
So to Captain Cocke's, and there sat and talked, especially with his
Counsellor, about his prize goods, that hath done him good turne, being of
the company with Captain Fisher, his name Godderson; here I supped and so
home to bed, with great content that the plague is decreased to 152, the
whole being but 330.
28th. Up and to the office, and thence with a great deal of business in
my head, dined alone with Cocke. So home alone strictly about my
accounts, wherein I made a good beginning, and so, after letters wrote by
the post, to bed.
29th. Up betimes, and all day long within doors upon my accounts,
publique and private, and find the ill effect of letting them go so long
without evening, that no soul could have ever understood them but myself,
and I with much ado. But, however, my regularity in all I did and spent
do helpe me, and I hope to find them well. Late at them and to bed.
30th. Up and to the office, at noon home to dinner, and all the afternoon
to my accounts again, and there find myself, to my great joy, a great deal
worth above L4000, for which the Lord be praised! and is principally
occasioned by my getting L500 of Cocke, for my profit in his bargains of
prize goods, and from Mr. Gawden's making me a present of L500 more, when
I paid him 8000 for Tangier. So to my office to write letters, then to my
accounts again, and so to bed, being in great ease of mind.
31st (Lord's day). All the morning in my chamber, writing fair the state
of my Tangier accounts, and so dined at home. In the afternoon to the
Duke of Albemarle and thence back again by water, and so to my chamber to
finish the entry of my accounts and to think of the business I am next to
do, which is the stating my thoughts and putting in order my collections
about the business of pursers, to see where the fault of our present
constitution relating to them lies and what to propose to mend it, and
upon this late and with my head full of this business to bed. Thus ends
this year, to my great joy, in this manner. I have raised my estate from
L1300 in this year to L4400. I have got myself greater interest, I think,
by my diligence, and my employments encreased by that of Treasurer for
Tangier, and Surveyour of the Victualls. It is true we have gone through
great melancholy because of the great plague, and I put to great charges
by it, by keeping my family long at Woolwich, and myself and another part
of my family, my clerks, at my charge at Greenwich, and a mayde at London;
but I hope the King will give us some satisfaction for that. But now the
plague is abated almost to nothing, and I intending to get to London as
fast as I can. My family, that is my wife and maids, having been there
these two or three weeks. The Dutch war goes on very ill, by reason of
lack of money; having none to hope for, all being put into disorder by a
new Act that is made as an experiment to bring credit to the Exchequer,
for goods and money to be advanced upon the credit of that Act. I have
never lived so merrily (besides that I never got so much) as I have done
this plague time, by my Lord Bruncker's and Captain Cocke's good company,
and the acquaintance of Mrs. Knipp, Coleman and her husband, and Mr.
Laneare, and great store of dancings we have had at my cost (which I was
willing to indulge myself and wife) at my lodgings. The great evil of this
year, and the only one indeed, is the fall of my Lord of Sandwich, whose
mistake about the prizes hath undone him, I believe, as to interest at
Court; though sent (for a little palliating it) Embassador into Spayne,
which he is now fitting himself for. But the Duke of Albemarle goes with
the Prince to sea this next year, and my Lord very meanly spoken of; and,
indeed, his miscarriage about the prize goods is not to be excused, to
suffer a company of rogues to go away with ten times as much as himself,
and the blame of all to be deservedly laid upon him.
[According to Granville Penn ("Memorials of Sir W. Penn," ii. 488 n.)
L2000 went to Lord Sandwich and L8000 among eight others.]
My whole family hath been well all this while, and all my friends I know
of, saving my aunt Bell, who is dead, and some children of my cozen
Sarah's, of the plague. But many of such as I know very well, dead; yet,
to our great joy, the town fills apace, and shops begin to be open again.
Pray God continue the plague's decrease! for that keeps the Court away
from the place of business, and so all goes to rack as to publick matters,
they at this distance not thinking of it.
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
A most conceited fellow and not over much in him
A pretty man, I would be content to break a commandment with him
Among many lazy people that the diligent man becomes necessary
Delight to see these poor fools decoyed into our condition
Great many silly stories they tell of their sport
His enemies have done him as much good as he could wish
How little merit do prevail in the world, but only favour
I am a foole to be troubled at it, since I cannot helpe it
L10,000 to the Prince, and half-a-crowne to my Lord of Sandwich
Left him with some Commanders at the table taking tobacco
One whom a great belly becomes as well as ever I saw any
Pleases them mightily, and me not at all
See how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody
The boy is well, and offers to be searched