home, calling on the virginall maker, buying a rest for myself to tune my
tryangle, and taking one of his people along with me to put it in tune
once more, by which I learned how to go about it myself for the time to
come. So to dinner, my wife being lazily in bed all this morning.
Ashwell and I dined below together, and a pretty girl she is, and I hope
will give my wife and myself good content, being very humble and active,
my cook maid do also dress my meat very well and neatly. So to my office
all the afternoon till night, and then home, calling at Sir W. Batten's,
where was Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Pen, I telling them how by my letter
this day from Commissioner Pett I hear that his Stempeese

[Stemples, cross pieces which are put into a frame of woodwork to
cure and strengthen a shaft.]

he undertook for the new ship at Woolwich, which we have been so long, to
our shame, in looking for, do prove knotty and not fit for service. Lord!
how Sir J. Minnes, like a mad coxcomb, did swear and stamp, swearing that
Commissioner Pett hath still the old heart against the King that ever he
had, and that this was his envy against his brother that was to build the
ship, and all the damnable reproaches in the world, at which I was
ashamed, but said little; but, upon the whole, I find him still a fool,
led by the nose with stories told by Sir W. Batten, whether with or
without reason. So, vexed in my mind to see things ordered so unlike
gentlemen, or men of reason, I went home and to bed.

2nd. Up by very betimes and to my office, where all the morning till
towards noon, and then by coach to Westminster Hall with Sir W. Pen, and
while he went up to the House I walked in the Hall with Mr. Pierce, the
surgeon, that I met there, talking about my business the other day with
Holmes, whom I told my mind, and did freely tell how I do depend upon my