in, Mr. Coventry did openly declare that his Lordship,
or any of us, should have not only all he had got,
but all that he had in the world (and yet he did not
come a beggar into the Navy, nor would yet be thought
to speak in any contempt of his Royall Highness’s
bounty), and should have a year to consider of it too,
for L25,000. The Duke’s answer was, that
he wished we all had made more profit than he had
of our places, and that we had all of us got as much
as one man below stayres in the Court, which he presently
named, and it was Sir George Lane! This being
ended, and the list left in the Duke’s hand,
we parted, and I with Sir G. Carteret, Sir J. Minnes,
and Sir W. Batten by coach to the Exchange, and there
a while, and so home, and whether it be the jogging,
or by having my mind more employed (which I believe
is a great matter) I know not, but . . . .
I begin to be suddenly well, at least better than
I was. So home and to dinner, and thence by coach
to the Old Exchange, and there cheapened some laces
for my wife, and then to Mr.-----the great laceman
in Cheapside, and bought one cost me L4. more by 20s.
than I intended, but when I came to see them I was
resolved to buy one worth wearing with credit, and
so to the New Exchange, and there put it to making,
and so to my Lord’s lodgings and left my wife,
and so I to the Committee of Tangier, and then late
home with my wife again by coach, beginning to be
very well, and yet when I came home . . . . the
little straining which I thought was no strain at
all at the present did by and by bring me some pain
for a good while. Anon, about 8 o’clock,
my wife did give me a clyster which Mr. Hollyard directed,
viz., a pint of strong ale, 4 oz. of sugar, and
2 oz. of butter. It lay while I lay upon the
bed above an hour, if not two, and then thinking it
quite lost I rose, and by and by it began with my
walking to work, and gave me three or four most excellent
stools and carried away wind, put me in excellent ease,
and taking my usual walnut quantity of electuary at
my going into bed I had about two stools in the night
. . . . .
13th. And so rose in the morning in perfect
good ease . . . . continued all the morning well,
and in the afternoon had a natural easily and dry
stoole, the first I have had these five days or six,
for which God be praised, and so am likely to continue
well, observing for the time to come when any of this
pain comes again
(1) To begin to keep myself as warm as I can.
(2) Strain as little as ever I can backwards, remembering
that my pain will come by and by, though in the very
straining I do not feel it.
(3) Either by physic forward or by clyster backward
or both ways to get an easy and plentiful going to
stool and breaking of wind.
(4) To begin to suspect my health immediately when
I begin to become costive and bound, and by all means
to keep my body loose, and that to obtain presently
after I find myself going the contrary.