[The fact is, the Germans were beaten by the Turks, and the French
     won the battle for them.—­B.]

10th.  Up, and, being ready, abroad to do several small businesses, among others to find out one to engrave my tables upon my new sliding rule with silver plates, it being so small that Browne that made it cannot get one to do it.  So I find out Cocker, the famous writing-master, and get him to do it, and I set an hour by him to see him design it all; and strange it is to see him with his natural eyes to cut so small at his first designing it, and read it all over, without any missing, when for my life I could not, with my best skill, read one word or letter of it; but it is use.  But he says that the best light for his life to do a very small thing by (contrary to Chaucer’s words to the Sun, “that he should lend his light to them that small seals grave"), it should be by an artificial light of a candle, set to advantage, as he could do it.  I find the fellow, by his discourse, very ingenuous; and among other things, a great admirer and well read in all our English poets, and undertakes to judge of them all, and that not impertinently.  Well pleased with his company and better with his judgement upon my Rule, I left him and home, whither Mr. Deane by agreement came to me and dined with me, and by chance Gunner Batters’s wife.  After dinner Deane and I [had] great discourse again about my Lord Chancellor’s timber, out of which I wish I may get well.  Thence I to Cocker’s again, and sat by him with good discourse again for an hour or two, and then left him, and by agreement with Captain Silas Taylor (my old acquaintance at the Exchequer) to the Post Officer to hear some instrument musique of Mr. Berchenshaw’s before my Lord Brunkard and Sir Robert Murray.  I must confess, whether it be that I hear it but seldom, or that really voice is better, but so it is that I found no pleasure at all in it, and methought two voyces were worth twenty of it.  So home to my office a while, and then to supper and to bed.

11th.  Up, and through pain, to my great grief forced to wear my gowne to keep my legs warm.  At the office all the morning, and there a high dispute against Sir W. Batten and Sir W. Pen about the breadth of canvas again, they being for the making of it narrower, I and Mr. Coventry and Sir J. Minnes for the keeping it broader.  So home to dinner, and by and by comes Mr. Creed, lately come from the Downes, and dined with me.  I show him a good countenance, but love him not for his base ingratitude to me.  However, abroad, carried my wife to buy things at the New Exchange, and so to my Lady Sandwich’s, and there merry, talking with her a great while, and so home, whither comes Cocker with my rule, which he hath engraved to admiration, for goodness and smallness of work:  it cost me 14s. the doing, and mightily pleased I am with it.  By and by, he gone, comes Mr. Moore and staid talking with me a great while about my Lord’s