at worst I suppose I can be made but to refund my profit
and so let it go. At noon home to dinner, where
Mr. Jackson dined with me, and after dinner I (calling
at the Excise Office, and setting my wife and Deb.
at her tailor’s) did with Mr. Jackson go to
find my cozen Roger Pepys, which I did in the Parliament
House, where I met him and Sir Thomas Crew and Mr.
George Montagu, who are mighty busy how to save my
Lord’s name from being in the Report for anything
which the Committee is commanded to report to the
House of the miscarriages of the late war. I
find they drive furiously still in the business of
tickets, which is nonsense in itself and cannot come
to any thing. Thence with cozen Roger to his
lodgings, and there sealed the writings with Jackson,
about my sister’s marriage: and here my
cozen Roger told me the pleasant passage of a fellow’s
bringing a bag of letters to-day, into the lobby of
the House, and left them, and withdrew himself without
observation. The bag being opened, the letters
were found all of one size, and directed with one hand:
a letter to most of the Members of the House.
The House was acquainted with it, and voted they
should be brought in, and one opened by the Speaker;
wherein if he found any thing unfit to communicate,
to propose a Committee to be chosen for it.
The Speaker opening one, found it only a case with
a libell in it, printed: a satire most sober
and bitter as ever I read; and every letter was the
same. So the House fell a-scrambling for them
like boys: and my cozen Roger had one directed
to him, which he lent me to read. So away, and
took up my wife, and setting Jackson down at Fetter
Lane end, I to the old Exchange to look Mr. Houblon,
but, not finding him, did go home, and there late
writing a letter to my Lord Sandwich, and to give
passage to a letter of great moment from Mr. Godolphin
to him, which I did get speedy passage for by the
help of Mr. Houblon, who come late to me, and there
directed the letter to Lisbon under cover of his, and
here we talked of the times, which look very sad and
distracted, and made good mirth at this day’s
passage in the House, and so parted; and going to the
gate with him, I found his lady and another fine lady
sitting an hour together, late at night, in their
coach, while he was with me, which is so like my wife,
that I was mighty taken with it, though troubled for
it. So home to supper and to bed. This
day Captain Cocke was with the Commissioners of Accounts
to ask more time for his bringing in his answer about
the prize goods, and they would not give him 14 days
as he asks, but would give only two days, which was
very hard, I think, and did trouble me for fear of
their severity, though I have prepared my matter so
as to defy it.