and my joyning, to get some money for my brother Tom and his kinswoman to
help forward with her portion if they should marry. I mean in buying of
tallow of him at a low rate for the King, and Tom should have the profit;
but he tells me the profit will be considerable, at which I was troubled,
but I have agreed with him to serve some in my absence. He went away, and
then came Mr. Moore and sat late with me talking about business, and so
went away and I to bed.

22nd. After taking leave of my wife, which we could hardly do kindly,
because of her mind to go along with me, Sir W. Pen and I took coach and
so over the bridge to Lambeth, W. Bodham and Tom Hewet going as clerks to
Sir W. Pen, and my Will for me. Here we got a dish of buttered eggs, and
there staid till Sir G. Carteret came to us from White Hall, who brought
Dr. Clerke with him, at which I was very glad, and so we set out, and I
was very much pleased with his company, and were very merry all the way
. . . . We came to Gilford and there passed our time in the garden,
cutting of sparagus for supper, the best that ever I eat in my life but in
the house last year. Supped well, and the Doctor and I to bed together,
calling cozens from his name and my office.

23d. Up early, and to Petersfield, and there dined well; and thence got
a countryman to guide us by Havant, to avoid going through the Forest; but
he carried us much out of the way, and upon our coming we sent away an
express to Sir W. Batten to stop his coming, which I did project to make
good my oath, that my wife should come if any of our wives came, which my
Lady Batten did intend to do with her husband. The Doctor and I lay
together at Wiard's, the chyrurgeon's, in Portsmouth, his wife a very
pretty woman. We lay very well and merrily; in the morning, concluding
him to be of the eldest blood and house of the Clerkes, because that all
the fleas came to him and not to me.