staid an hour or two discoursing of some of his goods and then things in
general relating to this office, &c., and so home, and there going to Sir
William Batten (having no stomach to dine at home, it being yet hardly
clean of last night's [mess])and there I dined with my Lady and her
daughter and son Castle, and mighty kind she is and I kind to her, but,
Lord! how freely and plainly she rails against Commissioner Pett, calling
him rogue, and wondering that the King keeps such a fellow in the Navy.
Thence by and by walked to see Sir W. Pen at Deptford, reading by the way
a most ridiculous play, a new one, called "The Politician Cheated." After
a little sitting with him I walked to the yard a little and so home again,
my Will with me, whom I bade to stay in the yard for me, and so to bed.
This morning my brother Tom was with me, and we had some discourse again
concerning his country mistress, but I believe the most that is fit for us
to condescend to, will not content her friends.

30th. Up and to the office to get business ready for our sitting, this
being the first day of altering it from afternoon during the Parliament
sitting to the fore-noon again. By and by Mr. Coventry only came (Sir
John Minnes and Sir William Batten being gone this morning to Portsmouth
to pay some ships and the yard there), and after doing a little business
he and I down to Woolwich, and there up and down the yard, and by and by
came Sir G. Carteret and we all looked into matters, and then by water
back to Deptford, where we dined with him at his house, a very good dinner
and mightily tempted with wines of all sorts and brave French Syder, but I
drunk none. But that which is a great wonder I find his little daughter
Betty, that was in hanging sleeves but a month or two ago, and is a very
little young child; married, and to whom, but to young Scott, son to Madam
Catharine Scott, that was so long in law, and at whose triall I was with
her husband; he pleading that it was unlawfully got and would not own it,
she, it seems, being brought to bed of it, if not got by somebody else at