and almost blind, he could not see; so I ’light and went into another coach, with a sad heart for the poor man and trouble for myself, lest he should have been struck with the plague, being at the end of the towne that I took him up; but God have mercy upon us all!  Sir John Lawson, I hear, is worse than yesterday:  the King went to see him to-day most kindly.  It seems his wound is not very bad; but he hath a fever, a thrush, and a hickup, all three together, which are, it seems, very bad symptoms.

18th (Lord’s day).  Up, and to church, where Sir W. Pen was the first time [since he] come from sea, after the battle.  Mr. Mills made a sorry sermon to prove that there was a world to come after this.  Home and dined and then to my chamber, where all the afternoon.  Anon comes Mr. Andrews to see and sing with me, but Mr. Hill not coming, and having business, we soon parted, there coming Mr. Povy and Creed to discourse about our Tangier business of money.  They gone, I hear Sir W. Batten and my Lady are returned from Harwich.  I went to see them, and it is pretty to see how we appear kind one to another, though neither of us care 2d. one for another.  Home to supper, and there coming a hasty letter from Commissioner Pett for pressing of some calkers (as I would ever on his Majesty’s service), with all speed, I made a warrant presently and issued it.  So to my office a little, and then home to bed.

19th.  Up, and to White Hall with Sir W. Batten (calling at my Lord Ashly’s, but to no purpose, by the way, he being not up), and there had our usual meeting before the Duke with the officers of the Ordnance with us, which in some respects I think will be the better for us, for despatch sake.  Thence home to the ’Change and dined alone (my wife gone to her mother’s), after dinner to my little new goldsmith’s,

     [John Colvill of Lombard Street, see ante, May 24th.  He lost
     L85,832 17s. 2d. by the closing of the Exchequer in 1672, and he
     died between 1672 and 1677 (Price’s “Handbook of London Bankers “).]

whose wife indeed is one of the prettiest, modest black women that ever I saw.  I paid for a dozen of silver salts L6 14s. 6d.  Thence with Sir W. Pen from the office down to Greenwich to see Sir J. Lawson, who is better, but continues ill; his hickupp not being yet gone, could have little discourse with him.  So thence home and to supper, a while to the office, my head and mind mightily vexed to see the multitude of papers and business before [me] and so little time to do it in.  So to bed.

20th.  Thankes-giving-day for victory over ye Dutch.  Up, and to the office, where very busy alone all the morning till church time, and there heard a mean sorry sermon of Mr. Mills.  Then to the Dolphin Taverne, where all we officers of the Navy met with the Commissioners of the Ordnance by agreement, and dined:  where good musique at my direction.  Our club—­[share]