Office; and find him mighty free to me, and how he is concerned to mend things in the Navy himself, and not leave it to other people.  So home to dinner; and then with my wife to Cooper’s, and there saw her sit; and he do do extraordinary things indeed.  So to White Hall; and there by and by the Duke of York comes to the Robe-chamber, and spent with us three hours till night, in hearing the business of the Master-Attendants of Chatham, and the Store-keeper of Woolwich; and resolves to displace them all; so hot he is of giving proofs of his justice at this time, that it is their great fate now, to come to be questioned at such a time as this.  Thence I to Unthanke’s, and took my wife and Deb. home, and to supper and to bed.

9th.  Up, and to the office, where sat all the morning, and after noon to the office again till night, mighty busy getting Mr. Fist to come and help me, my own clerks all busy, and so in the evening to ease my eyes, and with my wife and Deb. and Betty Turner, by coach to Unthanke’s and back again, and then to supper and to bed.

10th.  Up, and to attend the Council, but all in vain, the Council spending all the morning upon a business about the printing of the Critickes, a dispute between the first Printer, one Bee that is dead, and the Abstractor, who would now print his Abstract, one Poole.  So home to dinner, and thence to Haward’s to look upon an Espinette, and I did come near the buying one, but broke off.  I have a mind to have one.  So to Cooper’s; and there find my wife and W. Hewer and Deb., sitting, and painting; and here he do work finely, though I fear it will not be so like as I expected:  but now I understand his great skill in musick, his playing and setting to the French lute most excellently; and speaks French, and indeed is an excellent man.  Thence, in the evening, with my people in a glass hackney-coach to the park, but was ashamed to be seen.  So to the lodge, and drank milk, and so home to supper and to bed.

11th.  At the office all the morning.  After dinner to the King’s playhouse, to see an old play of Shirly’s, called “Hide Parker” the first day acted; where horses are brought upon the stage but it is but a very moderate play, only an excellent epilogue spoke by Beck Marshall.  Thence home and to my office, and then to supper and to bed, and overnight took some pills,

12th.  Which work with me pretty betimes, being Lord’s day, and so I within all day.  Busy all the morning upon some accounts with W. Hewer, and at noon, an excellent dinner, comes Pelling and W. Howe, and the latter staid and talked with me all the afternoon, and in the evening comes Mr. Mills and his wife and supped and talked with me, and so to bed.  This last night Betty Michell about midnight cries out, and my wife goes to her, and she brings forth a girl, and this afternoon the child is christened, and my wife godmother again to a Betty.