successively, and their heirs must know it), it will appear to be of no danger at all.  We concluded nothing; but shall discourse with the Duke of York to-morrow about it.  In the afternoon, after we had done with him, I went to speak with my uncle Wight and found my aunt to have been ill a good while of a miscarriage, I staid and talked with her a good while.  Thence home, where I found that Sarah the maid had been very ill all day, and my wife fears that she will have an ague, which I am much troubled for.  Thence to my lute, upon which I have not played a week or two, and trying over the two songs of “Nulla, nulla,” &c., and “Gaze not on Swans,” which Mr. Berkenshaw set for me a little while ago, I find them most incomparable songs as he has set them, of which I am not a little proud, because I am sure none in the world has them but myself, not so much as he himself that set them.  So to bed.

15th.  With Sir G. Carteret and both the Sir Williams at Whitehall to wait on the Duke in his chamber, which we did about getting money for the Navy and other things.  So back again to the office all the morning.  Thence to the Exchange to hire a ship for the Maderas, but could get none.  Then home to dinner, and Sir G. Carteret and I all the afternoon by ourselves upon business in the office till late at night.  So to write letters and home to bed.  Troubled at my maid’s being ill.

16th (Lord’s day).  This morning, till churches were done, I spent going from one church to another and hearing a bit here and a bit there.  So to the Wardrobe to dinner with the young Ladies, and then into my Lady’s chamber and talked with her a good while, and so walked to White Hall, an hour or two in the Park, which is now very pleasant.  Here the King and Duke came to see their fowl play.  The Duke took very civil notice of me.  So walked home, calling at Tom’s, giving him my resolution about my boy’s livery.  Here I spent an hour walking in the garden with Sir W. Pen, and then my wife and I thither to supper, where his son William is at home not well.  But all things, I fear, do not go well with them; they look discontentedly, but I know not what ails them.  Drinking of cold small beer here I fell ill, and was forced to go out and vomit, and so was well again and went home by and by to bed.  Fearing that Sarah would continue ill, wife and I removed this night to our matted chamber and lay there.

17th.  All the morning at the office by myself about setting things in order there, and so at noon to the Exchange to see and be seen, and so home to dinner and then to the office again till night, and then home and after supper and reading a while to bed.  Last night the Blackmore pink

     [A “pink” was a form of vessel now obsolete, and had a very narrow
     stern.  The “Blackmoor” was a sixth-rate of twelve guns, built at
     Chatham by Captain Tayler in 1656.]

brought the three prisoners, Barkestead, Okey, and Corbet, to the Tower, being taken at Delfe in Holland; where, the Captain tells me, the Dutch were a good while before they could be persuaded to let them go, they being taken prisoners in their land.  But Sir G. Downing would not be answered so:  though all the world takes notice of him for a most ungrateful villain for his pains.