19th. Up and to St. James's, where long with Mr. Coventry, Povy, &c., in
their Tangier accounts, but such the folly of that coxcomb Povy that we
could do little in it, and so parted for the time, and I to walk with
Creed and Vernaty in the Physique Garden in St. James's Parke; where I
first saw orange-trees, and other fine trees. So to Westminster Hall, and
thence by water to the Temple, and so walked to the 'Change, and there
find the 'Change full of news from Guinny, some say the Dutch have sunk
our ships and taken our fort, and others say we have done the same to
them. But I find by our merchants that something is done, but is yet a
secret among them. So home to dinner, and then to the office, and at
night with Captain Tayler consulting how to get a little money by letting
him the Elias to fetch masts from New England. So home to supper and to
bed.

20th. Up and by coach to Westminster, and there solicited W. Joyce's
business all the morning, and meeting in the Hall with Mr. Coventry, he
told me how the Committee for Trade have received now all the complaints
of the merchants against the Dutch, and were resolved to report very
highly the wrongs they have done us (when, God knows! it is only our owne
negligence and laziness that hath done us the wrong) and this to be made
to the House to-morrow. I went also out of the Hall with Mrs. Lane to the
Swan at Mrs. Herbert's in the Palace Yard to try a couple of bands, and
did (though I had a mind to be playing the fool with her) purposely stay
but a little while, and kept the door open, and called the master and
mistress of the house one after another to drink and talk with me, and
showed them both my old and new bands. So that as I did nothing so they
are able to bear witness that I had no opportunity there to do anything.
Thence by coach with Sir W. Pen home, calling at the Temple for Lawes's
Psalms, which I did not so much (by being against my oath) buy as only lay