13th.  Lay sleepy in bed till 8 in the morning, then up and to the office, where till about noon, then out to the ’Change and several places, and so home to dinner.  Then out again to Sir R. Vines, and there to my content settled the business of two tallys, so as I shall have L2000 almost more of my owne money in my hand, which pleases me mightily, and so home and there to the office, where mighty busy, and then home to supper and to even my Journall and to bed.  Our fleete being now in all points ready to sayle, but for the carrying of the two or three new ships, which will keepe them a day or two or three more.  It is said the Dutch is gone off our coast, but I have no good reason to believe it, Sir W. Coventry not thinking any such thing.

14th.  Up betimes to the office, to write fair a laborious letter I wrote as from the Board to the Duke of Yorke, laying out our want of money again; and particularly the business of Captain Cocke’s tenders of hemp, which my Lord Bruncker brought in under an unknown hand without name.  Wherein his Lordship will have no great successe, I doubt.  That being done, I down to Thames-streete, and there agreed for four or five tons of corke, to send this day to the fleete, being a new device to make barricados with, instead of junke.  By this means I come to see and kiss Mr. Hill’s young wife, and a blithe young woman she is.  So to the office and at noon home to dinner, and then sent for young Michell and employed him all the afternoon about weighing and shipping off of the corke, having by this means an opportunity of getting him 30 or 40s.  Having set him a doing, I home and to the office very late, very busy, and did indeed dispatch much business, and so to supper and to bed.  After a song in the garden, which, and after dinner, is now the greatest pleasure I take, and indeed do please me mightily, to bed, after washing my legs and feet with warm water in my kitchen.  This evening I had Davila

[Enrico Caterino Davila (1576-1631) was one of the chief historical writers of Italy, and his “Storia delle guerre civili di Francia” covers a period of forty years, from the death of Henri ii. to the Peace of Vervins in 1598.]

brought home to me, and find it a most excellent history as ever I read.

15th (Lord’s day).  Up, and to church, where our lecturer made a sorry silly sermon, upon the great point of proving the truth of the Christian religion.  Home and had a good dinner, expecting Mr. Hunt, but there comes only young Michell and his wife, whom my wife concurs with me to be a pretty woman, and with her husband is a pretty innocent couple.  Mightily pleasant we were, and I mightily pleased in her company and to find my wife so well pleased with them also.  After dinner he and I walked to White Hall, not being able to get a coach.  He to the Abbey, and I to White Hall, but met with nobody to discourse with, having no great mind to be found idling there, and be asked questions of the