come to his old trade again. But, Lord! to see how full the house is, no
room for any company almost to come into it. Thence home to the office,
where dispatched much business; at night late home, and to clean myself
with warm water; my wife will have me, because she do herself, and so to
bed.

26th (Sunday). Up and to church, and so home to dinner, and after dinner
to my office, and there busy all the afternoon, till in the evening comes
Mr. Andrews and Hill, and so home and to singing. Hill staid and supped
with me, and very good discourse of Italy, where he was, which is always
to me very agreeable. After supper, he gone, we to prayers and to bed.

27th. Up and to St. James's, where we attended the Duke as usual. This
morning I was much surprized and troubled with a letter from Mrs. Bland,
that she is left behind, and much trouble it cost me this day to find out
some way to carry her after the ships to Plymouth, but at last I hope I
have done it. At noon to the 'Change to inquire what wages the Dutch give
in their men-of-warr at this day, and I hear for certain they give but
twelve guilders at most, which is not full 24s., a thing I wonder at. At
home to dinner, and then in Sir J. Minnes's coach, my wife and I with him,
and also Mercer, abroad, he and I to White Hall, and he would have his
coach to wait upon my wife on her visits, it being the first time my wife
hath been out of doors (but the other day to bathe her) several weeks. We
to a Committee of the Council to discourse concerning pressing of men;
but, Lord! how they meet; never sit down: one comes, now another goes,
then comes another; one complaining that nothing is done, another swearing
that he hath been there these two hours and nobody come. At last it come
to this, my Lord Annesly, says he, "I think we must be forced to get the
King to come to every committee; for I do not see that we do any thing at
any time but when he is here." And I believe he said the truth and very