all the afternoon till very late, and then to bed, being very hoarse with
a cold I did lately get with leaving off my periwigg. This afternoon W.
Pen, lately come from his father in the fleete, did give me an account how
the fleete did sayle, about 103 in all, besides small catches, they being
in sight of six or seven Dutch scouts, and sent ships in chase of them.
26th. Up very betimes, my cold continuing and my stomach sick with the
buttered ale that I did drink the last night in bed, which did lie upon me
till I did this morning vomitt it up. So walked to Povy's, where Creed
met me, and there I did receive the first parcel of money as Treasurer of
Tangier, and did give him my receipt for it, which was about L2,800 value
in Tallys; we did also examine and settle several other things, and then I
away to White Hall, talking, with Povy alone, about my opinion of Creed's
indiscretion in looking after Mrs. Pickering, desiring him to make no more
a sport of it, but to correct him, if he finds that he continues to owne
any such thing. This I did by my Lady's desire, and do intend to pursue
the stop of it. So to the Carrier's by Cripplegate, to see whether my
mother be come to towne or no, I expecting her to-day, but she is not
come. So to dinner to my Lady Sandwich's, and there after dinner above in
the diningroom did spend an houre or two with her talking again about
Creed's folly; but strange it is that he should dare to propose this
business himself of Mrs. Pickering to my Lady, and to tell my Lady that he
did it for her virtue sake, not minding her money, for he could have a
wife with more, but, for that, he did intend to depend upon her Ladyshipp
to get as much of her father and mother for her as she could; and that,
what he did, was by encouragement from discourse of her Ladyshipp's: he
also had wrote to Mrs. Pickering, but she did give him a slighting answer
back again. But I do very much fear that Mrs. Pickering's honour, if the
world comes to take notice of it, may be wronged by it. Thence home, and
all the afternoon till night at my office, then home to supper and to bed.
27th. Up, and to my office, where all the morning, at noon Creed dined
with me; and, after dinner, walked in the garden, he telling me that my
Lord Treasurer now begins to be scrupulous, and will know what becomes of
the L26,000 saved by my Lord Peterborough, before he parts with any more
money, which puts us into new doubts, and me into a great fear, that all
my cake will be doe still.
[An obsolete proverb, signifying to lose one's hopes, a cake coming
out of the oven in a state of dough being considered spoiled.
"My cake is dough; but I'll in among the rest;
Out of hope of all, but my share in the feast."
Shakespeare, Taming of the Shrew, act v., sc. i.-M. B.]
But I am well prepared for it to bear it, being not clear whether it will
be more for my profit to have it, or go without it, as my profits of the
Navy are likely now to be. All the afternoon till late hard at the
office. Then to supper and to bed. This night William Hewer is returned
from Harwich, where he hath been paying off of some ships this fortnight,
and went to sea a good way with the fleete, which was 96 in company then,
men of warr, besides some come in, and following them since, which makes
now above 100, whom God bless!
28th. Up by 5 o'clock, and by appointment with Creed by 6 at his chamber,
expecting Povy, who come not. Thence he and I out to Sir Philip
Warwicke's, but being not up we took a turn in the garden hard by, and
thither comes Povy to us. After some discourse of the reason of the
difficulty that Sir Philip Warwicke makes in issuing a warrant for my
striking of tallys, namely, the having a clear account of the L26,000
saved by my Lord of Peterborough, we parted, and I to Sir P. Warwicke, who
did give me an account of his demurr, which I applied myself to remove by
taking Creed with me to my Lord Ashly, from whom, contrary to all
expectation, I received a very kind answer, just as we could have wished
it, that he would satisfy my Lord Treasurer. Thence very well satisfied I
home, and down the River to visit the victualling-ships, where I find all
out of order. And come home to dinner, and then to write a letter to the
Duke of Albemarle about the victualling-ships, and carried it myself to
the Council-chamber, where it was read; and when they rose, my Lord
Chancellor passing by stroked me on the head, and told me that the Board
had read my letter, and taken order for the punishing of the watermen for
not appearing on board the ships.
[Among the State Papers are lists of watermen impressed and put on
board the victualling ships. Attached to one of these is a "note of
their unfitness and refractory conduct; also that many go ashore to
sleep, and are discontent that they, as masters of families, are
pressed, while single men are excused on giving money to the
pressmen" ("Calendar," Domestic, 1664-65, p. 323).]
And so did the King afterwards, who do now know me so well, that he never
sees me but he speaks to me about our Navy business. Thence got my Lord
Ashly to my Lord Treasurer below in his chamber, and there removed the
scruple, and by and by brought Mr. Sherwin to Sir Philip Warwicke and did
the like, and so home, and after a while at my office, to bed.
29th. All the morning busy at the office. In the afternoon to my Lord
Treasurer's, and there got my Lord Treasurer to sign the warrant for my
striking of tallys, and so doing many jobbs in my way home, and there late
writeing letters, being troubled in my mind to hear that Sir W. Batten and
Sir J. Minnes do take notice that I am now-a-days much from the office
upon no office business, which vexes me, and will make me mind my business
the better, I hope in God; but what troubles me more is, that I do omit to
write, as I should do, to Mr. Coventry, which I must not do, though this
night I minded it so little as to sleep in the middle of my letter to him,
and committed forty blotts and blurrs in my letter to him, but of this I
hope never more to be guilty, if I have not already given him sufficient
offence. So, late home, and to bed.
30th (Lord's day). Up and to my office alone all the morning, making up
my monthly accounts, which though it hath been very intricate, and very
great disbursements and receipts and odd reckonings, yet I differed not
from the truth; viz.: between my first computing what my profit ought to
be and then what my cash and debts do really make me worth, not above
10s., which is very much, and I do much value myself upon the account, and
herein I with great joy find myself to have gained this month above L100
clear, and in the whole to be worth above L1400, the greatest sum I ever
yet was worth. Thence home to dinner, and there find poor Mr. Spong
walking at my door, where he had knocked, and being told I was at the
office staid modestly there walking because of disturbing me, which
methinks was one of the most modest acts (of a man that hath no need of
being so to me) that ever I knew in my life. He dined with me, and then
after dinner to my closet, where abundance of mighty pretty discourse,
wherein, in a word, I find him the man of the world that hath of his own
ingenuity obtained the most in most things, being withall no scholler. He
gone, I took boat and down to Woolwich and Deptford, and made it late
home, and so to supper and to bed. Thus I end this month in great content
as to my estate and gettings: in much trouble as to the pains I have
taken, and the rubs I expect yet to meet with, about the business of
Tangier. The fleete, with about 106 ships upon the coast of Holland, in
sight of the Dutch, within the Texel. Great fears of the sickenesse here
in the City, it being said that two or three houses are already shut up.
God preserve as all!
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
Castlemayne is sicke again, people think, slipping her filly
Desired me that I would baste his coate
Did put evil thoughts in me, but proceeded no further
France, which is accounted the best place for bread
How Povy overdoes every thing in commending it
Never could man say worse himself nor have worse said
Wanton as ever she was, with much I made myself merry and away