15th (Lord's day). Up and with my wife and her woman Ashwell the first
time to church, where our pew was so full with Sir J. Minnes's sister and
her daughter, that I perceive, when we come all together, some of us must
be shut out, but I suppose we shall come to some order what to do therein.
Dined at home, and to church again in the afternoon, and so home, and I to
my office till the evening doing one thing or other and reading my vows as
I am bound every Lord's day, and so home to supper and talk, and Ashwell
is such good company that I think we shall be very lucky in her. So to
prayers and to bed. This day the weather, which of late has been very hot
and fair, turns very wet and cold, and all the church time this afternoon
it thundered mightily, which I have not heard a great while.

16th. Up very betimes and to my office, where, with several Masters of
the King's ships, Sir J. Minnes and I advising upon the business of
Slopps, wherein the seaman is so much abused by the Pursers, and that
being done, then I home to dinner, and so carried my wife to her mother's,
set her down and Ashwell to my Lord's lodging, there left her, and I to
the Duke, where we met of course, and talked of our Navy matters. Then to
the Commission of Tangier, and there, among other things, had my Lord
Peterborough's Commission read over; and Mr. Secretary Bennet did make his
querys upon it, in order to the drawing one for my Lord Rutherford more
regularly, that being a very extravagant thing. Here long discoursing
upon my Lord Rutherford's despatch, and so broke up, and so going out of
the Court I met with Mr. Coventry, and so he and I walked half an hour in
the long Stone Gallery, where we discoursed of many things, among others
how the Treasurer doth intend to come to pay in course, which is the thing
of the world that will do the King the greatest service in the Navy, and
which joys my heart to hear of. He tells me of the business of Sir J.
Minnes and Sir W. Pen, which I knew before, but took no notice or little