Minnes and some captains with him, who had been at a Councill of Warr
to-day, who tell us they have acquitted Captain Hall, who was accused of
cowardice in letting of old Winter, the Argier pyrate, go away from him
with a prize or two; and also Captain Diamond of the murder laid to him of
a man that he had struck, but he lived many months after, till being
drunk, he fell into the hold, and there broke his jaw and died, but they
say there are such bawdy articles against him as never were heard of
. . . . To the pay again, where I left them, and walked to Redriffe,
and so home, and there came Mr. Creed and Shepley to me, and staid till
night about my Lord's accounts, our proceeding to set them in order, and
so parted and I to bed. Mr. Holliard had been with my wife to-day, and
cured her of her pain in her ear by taking out a most prodigious quantity
of hard wax that had hardened itself in the bottom of the ear, of which I
am very glad.

28th. Up to my Lord's and my own accounts, and so to the office, where
all the forenoon sitting, and at noon by appointment to the Mitre, where
Mr. Shepley gave me and Mr. Creed, and I had my uncle Wight with us, a
dish of fish. Thence to the office again, and there all the afternoon
till night, and so home, and after talking with my wife to bed. This day
a genteel woman came to me, claiming kindred of me, as she had once done
before, and borrowed 10s. of me, promising to repay it at night, but I
hear nothing of her. I shall trust her no more. Great talk there is of a
fear of a war with the Dutch; and we have order to pitch upon twenty ships
to be forthwith set out; but I hope it is but a scarecrow to the world, to
let them see that we can be ready for them; though, God knows! the King is
not able to set out five ships at this present without great difficulty,
we neither having money, credit, nor stores. My mind is now in a
wonderful condition of quiet and content, more than ever in all my life,
since my minding the business of my office, which I have done most