December 1st. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning. At
noon I home to dinner with my poor wife, with whom now-a-days I enjoy
great pleasure in her company and learning of Arithmetique. After dinner
I to Guild Hall to hear a tryall at King's Bench, before Lord Chief
Justice Hide, about the insurance of a ship, the same I mention in my
yesterday's journall, where everything was proved how money was so taken
up upon bottomary and insurance, and the ship left by the master and
seamen upon rocks, where, when the sea fell at the ebb, she must perish.
The master was offered helpe, and he did give the pilotts 20 sols to drink
to bid them go about their business, saying that the rocks were old, but
his ship was new, and that she was repaired for L6 and less all the damage
that she received, and is now brought by one, sent for on purpose by the
insurers, into the Thames, with her cargo, vessels of tallow daubed over
with butter, instead of all butter, the whole not worth above L500, ship
and all, and they had took up, as appeared, above L2,400. He had given
his men money to content them; and yet, for all this, he did bring some of
them to swear that it was very stormy weather, and [they] did all they
could to save her, and that she was seven feete deep water in hold, and
were fain to cut her main and foremast, that the master was the last man
that went out, and they were fain to force [him] out when she was ready to
sink; and her rudder broke off, and she was drawn into the harbour after
they were gone, as wrecke all broken, and goods lost: that she could not
be carried out again without new building, and many other things so
contrary as is not imaginable more. There was all the great counsel in
the kingdom in the cause; but after one witnesse or two for the plaintiff,
it was cried down as a most notorious cheate; and so the jury, without
going out, found it for the plaintiff. But it was pleasant to see what
mad sort of testimonys the seamen did give, and could not be got to speak
in order: and then their terms such as the judge could not understand; and
to hear how sillily the Counsel and judge would speak as to the terms