to carry more soldiers to Tangier, and also visited a rope ground, wherein I learnt several useful things.  The talk upon the ’Change is, that De Ruyter is dead, with fifty men of his own ship, of the plague, at Cales:  that the Holland Embassador here do endeavour to sweeten us with fair words; and things likely to be peaceable.  Home after I had spoke with my cozen Richard Pepys upon the ’Change, about supplying us with bewpers from Norwich, which I should be glad of, if cheap.  So home to supper and bed.

17th.  Up, and to my office, where I dispatched much business, and then down by water to Woolwich to make a discovery of a cheate providing for us in the working of some of our own ground Tows into new cordage, to be sold to us for Riga cordage.  Thence to Mr. Falconer’s, where I met Sir W. Batten and Lady, and Captain Tinker, and there dined with them, and so to the Dockyarde and to Deptford by water, and there very long informing myself in the business of flags and bewpers and other things, and so home late, being weary, and full of good information to-day, but I perceive the corruptions of the Navy are of so many kinds that it is endless to look after them, especially while such a one as Sir W. Batten discourages every man that is honest.  So home to my office, there very late, and then to supper and to bed mightily troubled in my mind to hear how Sir W. Batten and Sir J. Minnes do labour all they can to abuse or enable others to abuse the King.

18th.  From morning till 11 at night (only a little at dinner at home) at my office very busy, setting many businesses in order to my great trouble, but great content in the end.  So home to supper and to bed.  Strange to see how pert Sir W. Pen is to-day newly come from Portsmouth with his head full of great reports of his service and the state of the ships there.  When that is over he will be just as another man again or worse.  But I wonder whence Mr. Coventry should take all this care for him, to send for him up only to look after his Irish business with my Lord Ormond and to get the Duke’s leave for him to come with so much officiousness, when I am sure he knows him as well as I do as to his little service he do.

19th (Lord’s day).  Up, and all the morning and afternoon (only at dinner at home) at my office doing many businesses for want of time on the week days.  In the afternoon the greatest shower of rain of a sudden and the greatest and most continued thunder that ever I heard I think in my life.  In the evening home to my wife, and there talked seriously of several of our family concernments, and among others of bringing Pall out of the country to us here to try to put her off, which I am very desirous, and my wife also of.  So to supper, prayers, which I have of late too much omitted.  So to bed.