not believe that it was so late as it truly was. I was hardly ever so
mistaken in my life before. Up and to Sir G. Carteret at his house, and
spoke to him about business, but he being in a bad humour I had no mind to
stay with him, but walked, drinking my morning draft of whay, by the way,
to York House, where the Russia Embassador do lie; and there I saw his
people go up and down louseing themselves: they are all in a great hurry,
being to be gone the beginning of next week. But that that pleased me
best, was the remains of the noble soul of the late Duke of Buckingham
appearing in his house, in every place, in the doorcases and the windows.
By and by comes Sir John Hebden, the Russia Resident, to me, and he and I
in his coach to White Hall, to Secretary Morrice's, to see the orders
about the Russia hemp that is to be fetched from Archangel for our King,
and that being done, to coach again, and he brought me into the City and
so I home; and after dinner abroad by water, and met by appointment Mr.
Deane in the Temple Church, and he and I over to Mr. Blackbury's yard, and
thence to other places, and after that to a drinking house, in all which
places I did so practise and improve my measuring of timber, that I can
now do it with great ease and perfection, which do please me mightily.
This fellow Deane is a conceited fellow, and one that means the King a
great deal of service, more of disservice to other people that go away
with the profits which he cannot make; but, however, I learn much of him,
and he is, I perceive, of great use to the King in his place, and so I
shall give him all the encouragement I can. Home by water, and having
wrote a letter for my wife to my Lady Sandwich to copy out to send this
night's post, I to the office, and wrote there myself several things, and
so home to supper and bed. My mind being troubled to think into what a
temper of neglect I have myself flung my wife into by my letting her learn
to dance, that it will require time to cure her of, and I fear her going
into the country will but make her worse; but only I do hope in the
meantime to spend my time well in my office, with more leisure than while