24th. After with great pleasure lying a great while talking and sporting
in bed with my wife (for we have been for some years now, and at present
more and more, a very happy couple, blessed be God), I got up and to my
office, and having done there some business, I by water, and then walked
to Deptford to discourse with Mr. Lowly and Davis about my late
conceptions about keeping books of the distinct works done in the yards,
against which I find no objection but their ignorance and unwillingness to
do anything of pains and what is out of their ordinary dull road, but I
like it well, and will proceed in it. So home and dined there with my
wife upon a most excellent dish of tripes of my own directing, covered
with, mustard, as I have heretofore seen them done at my Lord Crew's, of
which I made a very great meal, and sent for a glass of wine for myself,
and so to see Sir W. Pen, who continues bed-rid in great pain, and hence
to the Treasury to Sir J. Minnes paying off of tickets, and at night home,
and in my study (after seeing Sir W. Batten, who also continues ill) I
fell to draw out my conceptions about books for the clerk that cheques in
the yard to keep according to the distinct works there, which pleases me
very well, and I am confident it will be of great use. At 9 at night
home, and to supper, and to bed. This noon came to see me and sat with me
a little after dinner Mr. Pierce, the chyrurgeon, who tells me how ill
things go at Court: that the King do show no countenance to any that
belong to the Queen; nor, above all, to such English as she brought over
with her, or hath here since, for fear they should tell her how he carries
himself to Mrs. Palmer;--[Lady Castlemaine.]--insomuch that though he has
a promise, and is sure of being made her chyrurgeon, he is at a loss what
to do in it, whether to take it or no, since the King's mind is so altered
in favour to all her dependants, whom she is fain to let go back into
Portugall (though she brought them from their friends against their wills
with promise of preferment), without doing any thing for them. But he
tells me that her own physician did tell him within these three days that