lobster, and with Mr. Swayne and his wife eat it, and argued before them mightily for Hawly, but all would not do, although I made her angry by calling her old, and making her know what herself is.  Her body was out of temper for any dalliance, and so after staying there 3 or 4 hours, but yet taking care to have my oath safe of not staying a quarter of an hour together with her, I went to W. Joyce, where I find the order come, and bayle (his father and brother) given; and he paying his fees, which come to above L2, besides L5 he is to give one man, and his charges of eating and drinking here, and 10s. a-day as many days as he stands under bayle:  which, I hope, will teach him hereafter to hold his tongue better than he used to do.  Thence with Anth.  Joyce’s wife alone home talking of Will’s folly, and having set her down, home myself, where I find my wife dressed as if she had been abroad, but I think she was not, but she answering me some way that I did not like I pulled her by the nose, indeed to offend her, though afterwards to appease her I denied it, but only it was done in haste.  The poor wretch took it mighty ill, and I believe besides wringing her nose she did feel pain, and so cried a great while, but by and by I made her friends, and so after supper to my office a while, and then home to bed.  This day great numbers of merchants came to a Grand Committee of the House to bring in their claims against the Dutch.  I pray God guide the issue to our good!

6th.  Up and to my office, whither by and by came John Noble, my father’s old servant, to speake with me.  I smelling the business, took him home; and there, all alone, he told me how he had been serviceable to my brother Tom, in the business of his getting his servant, an ugly jade, Margaret, with child.  She was brought to bed in St. Sepulchre’s parish of two children; one is dead, the other is alive; her name Elizabeth, and goes by the name of Taylor, daughter to John Taylor.  It seems Tom did a great while trust one Crawly with the business, who daily got money of him; and at last, finding himself abused, he broke the matter to J. Noble, upon a vowe of secresy.  Tom’s first plott was to go on the other side the water and give a beggar woman something to take the child.  They did once go, but did nothing, J. Noble saying that seven years hence the mother might come to demand the child and force him to produce it, or to be suspected of murder.  Then I think it was that they consulted, and got one Cave, a poor pensioner in St. Bride’s parish to take it, giving him L5, he thereby promising to keepe it for ever without more charge to them.  The parish hereupon indite the man Cave for bringing this child upon the parish, and by Sir Richard Browne he is sent to the Counter.  Cave thence writes to Tom to get him out.  Tom answers him in a letter of his owne hand, which J. Noble shewed me, but not signed by him, wherein he speaks of freeing him and getting security for him, but nothing as to