I did also give the Duke of York a short account of the history of the Navy, as to our Office, wherewith he was very well satisfied:  but I do find that he is pretty stiff against their bringing in of men against his mind, as the Treasures were, and particularly against Child’s’ coming in, because he is a merchant.  After much discourse with him, we parted; and [he to] the Council, while I staid waiting for his telling me when I should be ready to give him a written account of the administration of the Navy.  This caused me to wait the whole afternoon, till night.  In the mean time, stepping to the Duchess of York’s side to speak with Lady Peterborough; I did see the young Duchess,

          [The Princess Mary, afterwards Queen of England.]

a little child in hanging sleeves; dance most finely, so as almost to ravish me, her ears were so good:  taught by a Frenchman that did heretofore teach the King, and all the King’s children, and the Queen-Mother herself, who do still dance well.  Thence to the council door and Mr. Chevins took me into the back stairs, and they with his friend, Mr. Fowkes, for whom he is very solicitous in some things depending in this Office, he did make me, with some others that he took in (among others, Alderman Back well), eat a pickled herring, the largest I ever saw, and drink variety of wines till I was almost merry; but I did keep in good tune; and so, after the Council was up, I home; and there find my wife not yet come home from Deptford, he she hath been all this day to see her mother, but she come and by, and so to talk, and supper, and to bed.  This night I did bring home from the King’s potticary’s, in White Hall by Mr. Cooling’s direction, a water that he says did him mighty good for his eyes.  I pray God it may do me good; but, by his description, his disease was the same as mine, and this do encourage me to use it.

3rd.  Up, and to the Council of War again, with Middleton:  but the proceedings of the Commanders so devilishly bad, and so professedly partial to the Captain, that I could endure it no longer, but took occasion to pretend business at the Office, and away, and Colonel Middleton with me, who was of the same mind, and resolved to declare our minds freely to the Duke of York about it.  So to the office, where we sat all the morning.  Then home to dinner, and so back to the office, where busy late till night, and so home to supper and to bed.

4th (Lord’s day).  Up, and to church, where Alderman Backewell’s wife, by my invitation with my head, come up with her mother, and sat with us, and after sermon I did walk with them home, and there left them, and home to dinner, and after dinner with Sir J. Minnes and T. Middleton to White Hall, by appointment; and at my Lord Arlington’s the Office did attend the King and Cabal, to discourse the further quantity of victuals fit to be declared for, which was 2,000 men for six months; and so without more ado or stay, there, hearing no news but that Sir Thomas Allen is to be expected every hour at home with his fleete, or news of his being gone back to Algier, and so home, where got my wife to read to me; and so after supper to bed.  The Queen-Mother hath been of late mighty ill, and some fears of her death.