15th.  Up betimes, and after talking with my father awhile, I to my office, and there hard at it till almost noon, and then went down the river with Maynes, the purveyor, to show a ship’s lading of Norway goods, and called at Sir W. Warren’s yard, and so home to dinner.  After dinner up with my wife and Ashwell a little to the Tryangle, and so I down to Deptford by land about looking out a couple of catches fitted to be speedily set forth in answer to a letter of Mr. Coventry’s to me.  Which done, I walked back again, all the way reading of my book of Timber measure, comparing it with my new Sliding Rule brought home this morning with great pleasure.  Taking boat again I went to Shishe’s yard, but he being newly gone out towards Deptford I followed him thither again, and there seeing him I went with him and pitched upon a couple, and so by water home, it being late, past 8 at night, the wind cold, and I a little weary.  So home to my office, then to supper and bed.

16th.  Up betimes and to my office, met to pass Mr. Pitt’s (anon Sir J. Lawson’s Secretary and Deputy Treasurer) accounts for the voyage last to the Streights, wherein the demands are strangely irregular, and I dare not oppose it alone for making an enemy and do no good, but only bring a review upon my Lord Sandwich, but God knows it troubles my heart to see it, and to see the Comptroller, whose duty it is, to make no more matter of it.  At noon home for an hour to dinner, and so to the office public and private till late at night, so home to supper and bed with my father.

17th.  Up by five o’clock as I have long done and to my office all the morning, at noon home to dinner with my father with us.  Our dinner, it being Good Friday, was only sugarsopps and fish; the only time that we have had a Lenten dinner all this Lent.  This morning Mr. Hunt, the instrument maker, brought me home a Basse Viall to see whether I like it, which I do not very well, besides I am under a doubt whether I had best buy one yet or no, because of spoiling my present mind and love to business.  After dinner my father and I walked into the city a little, and parted and to Paul’s Church Yard, to cause the title of my English “Mare Clausum”

[Selden’s work was highly esteemed, and Charles I. made an order in council that a copy should be kept in the Council chest, another in the Court of Exchequer, and a third in the Court of Admiralty.  The book Pepys refers to is Nedham’s translation, which was entitled, “Of the Dominion or Ownership of the Sea.  Two Books . . . , written at first in Latin and entituled Mare Clausum, by John Selden.  Translated into English by Marchamont Nedham.  London, 1652.”  This has the Commonwealth arms on the title-page and a dedication “To the Supreme Autoritie of the Nation-The Parliament of the Commonwealth of England.”  The dedication to Charles I. in Selden’s original work was left out.  Apparently a new title-page and dedication was prepared in 1663,