a comfort to me that I am become so considerable as to have him need to say that to me, which, if I did not do something in the world, would never have been.  Here well satisfied I to Sir Ph.  Warwicke, and there did some business with him; thence to Jervas’s and there spent a little idle time with him, his wife, Jane, and a sweetheart of hers.  So to the Hall awhile and thence to the Exchange, where yesterday’s newes confirmed, though in a little different manner; but a couple of ships in the Straights we have lost, and the Dutch have been in Margaret [Margate] Road.  Thence home to dinner and so abroad and alone to the King’s house, to a play, “The Traytor,” where, unfortunately, I met with Sir W. Pen, so that I must be forced to confess it to my wife, which troubles me.  Thence walked home, being ill-satisfied with the present actings of the House, and prefer the other House before this infinitely.  To my Lady Batten’s, where I find Pegg Pen, the first time that ever I saw her to wear spots.  Here very merry, Sir W. Batten being looked for to-night, but is not yet come from Harwich.  So home to supper and to bed.

14th.  Up and to White Hall, where long waited in the Duke’s chamber for a Committee intended for Tangier, but none met, and so I home and to the office, where we met a little, and then to the ’Change, where our late ill newes confirmed in loss of two ships in the Straights, but are now the Phoenix and Nonsuch!  Home to dinner, thence with my wife to the King’s house, there to see “Vulpone,” a most excellent play; the best I think I ever saw, and well, acted.  So with Sir W. Pen home in his coach, and then to the office.  So home, to supper, and bed, resolving by the grace of God from this day to fall hard to my business again, after some weeke or fortnight’s neglect.

15th (Lord’s day).  Up, and after a little at my office to prepare a fresh draught of my vowes for the next yeare, I to church, where a most insipid young coxcomb preached.  Then home to dinner, and after dinner to read in “Rushworth’s Collections” about the charge against the late Duke of Buckingham, in order to the fitting me to speak and understand the discourse anon before the King about the suffering the Turkey merchants to send out their fleete at this dangerous time, when we can neither spare them ships to go, nor men, nor King’s ships to convoy them.  At four o’clock with Sir W. Pen in his coach to my Lord Chancellor’s, where by and by Mr. Coventry, Sir W. Pen, Sir J. Lawson, Sir G. Ascue, and myself were called in to the King, there being several of the Privy Council, and my Lord Chancellor lying at length upon a couch (of the goute I suppose); and there Sir W. Pen begun, and he had prepared heads in a paper, and spoke pretty well to purpose, but with so much leisure and gravity as was tiresome; besides, the things he said were but very poor to a man in his trade after a great consideration, but it was to purpose, indeed to dissuade the King