also:  but when we come to sit down at the Board, comes to us Mr. Wren this day to town, and tells me that James Southern do petition the Duke of York for the Storekeeper’s place of Deptford, which did trouble me much, and also the Board, though, upon discourse, after he was gone, we did resolve to move hard for our Clerks, and that places of preferment may go according to seniority and merit.  So, the Board up, I home with my people to dinner, and so to the office again, and there, after doing some business, I with Mr. Turner to the Duke of Albemarle’s at night; and there did speak to him about his appearing to Mr. Wren a friend to Mr. Turner, which he did take kindly from me; and so away thence, well pleased with what we had now done, and so I with him home, stopping at my Lord Brouncker’s, and getting his hand to a letter I wrote to the Duke of York for T. Hater, and also at my Lord Middleton’s, to give him an account of what I had done this day, with his man, at Alderman Backewell’s, about the getting of his L1000 paid;

     [It was probably for this payment that the tally was obtained, the
     loss of which caused Pepys so much anxiety.  See November 26th,
     1668]

and here he did take occasion to discourse about the business of the Dutch war, which, he says, he was always an enemy to; and did discourse very well of it, I saying little, but pleased to hear him talk; and to see how some men may by age come to know much, and yet by their drinking and other pleasures render themselves not very considerable.  I did this day find by discourse with somebody, that this nobleman was the great Major-General Middleton; that was of the Scots army, in the beginning of the late war against the King.  Thence home and to the office to finish my letters, and so home and did get my wife to read to me, and then Deb to comb my head . . . .

14th.  Up, and by water, stopping at Michell’s, and there saw Betty, but could have no discourse with her, but there drank.  To White Hall, and there walked to St. James’s, where I find the Court mighty full, it being the Duke or York’s birthday; and he mighty fine, and all the musick, one after another, to my great content.  Here I met with Sir H. Cholmly; and he and I to walk, and to my Lord Barkeley’s new house; there to see a new experiment of a cart, which; by having two little wheeles fastened to the axle-tree, is said to make it go with half the ease and more, than another cart but we did not see the trial made.  Thence I home, and after dinner to St. James’s, and there met my brethren; but the Duke of York being gone out, and to-night being a play there; and a great festival, we would not stay, but went all of us to the King’s playhouse, and there saw “The Faythful Shepherdess” again, that we might hear the French Eunuch sing, which we did, to our great content; though I do admire his action as much as his singing, being both beyond all I ever saw or heard.  Thence with W. Pen home, and there to get my people to read, and to supper, and so to bed.