is good for her cold and defluxions. I to the
office (whither come Mr. Carcasse to me to sue for
my favour to him), and Sir W. Pen’s, where I
find Mr. Lowther come to town after the journey, and
after a small visit to him, I to the office to do much
business, and then in the evening to Sir W. Batten’s,
to see how he did; and he is better than he was.
He told me how Mrs. Lowther had her train held up
yesterday by her page, at his house in the country;
which is so ridiculous a piece of pride as I am ashamed
of. He told me also how he hears by somebody
that my Lord Bruncker’s maid hath told that her
lady Mrs. Williams had sold her jewels and clothes
to raise money for something or other; and indeed
the last night a letter was sent from her to me, to
send to my Lord, with about five pieces of gold in
it, which methought at the time was but a poor supply.
I then to Sir W. Pen, who continues a little ill,
or dissembles it, the latter of which I am apt to believe.
Here I staid but little, not meaning much kindness
in it; and so to the office, and dispatched more business;
and then home at night, and to supper with my wife,
and who should come in but Mr. Pelling, and supped
with us, and told us the news of the town; how the
officers of the Navy are cried out upon, and a great
many greater men; but do think that I shall do well
enough; and I think, if I have justice, I shall.
He tells me of my Lord Duke of Buckingham, his dining
to-day at the Sun, and that he was mighty merry; and,
what is strange, tells me that really he is at this
day a very popular man, the world reckoning him to
suffer upon no other account than that he did propound
in Parliament to have all the questions that had to
do with the receipt of the taxes and prizes; but they
must be very silly that do think he can do any thing
out of good intention. After a great deal of
tittle-tattle with this honest man, he gone we to
bed. We hear that the Dutch are gone down again;
and thanks be to God! the trouble they give us this
second time is not very considerable.
29th. Up, having had many ugly dreams to-night
of my father and my sister and mother’s coming
to us, and meeting my wife and me at the gate of the
office going out, they all in laced suits, and come,
they told me, to be with me this May day. My
mother told me she lacked a pair of gloves, and I
remembered a pair of my wife’s in my chamber,
and resolved she should have them, but then recollected
how my mother come to be here when I was in mourning
for her, and so thinking it to be a mistake in our
thinking her all this while dead, I did contrive that
it should be said to any that enquired that it was
my mother-in-law, my wife’s mother, that was
dead, and we in mourning for. This dream troubled
me and I waked . . . . These dreams did trouble
me mightily all night. Up, and by coach to St.
James’s, and there find Sir W. Coventry and Sir
W. Pen above stairs, and then we to discourse about
making up our accounts against the Parliament; and