Ball, and it may be he may prove a necessary man for our turns. With Mr.
Povy I spoke very freely my indifference as to my place of Treasurer,
being so much troubled in it, which he took with much seeming trouble,
that I should think of letting go so lightly the place, but if the place
can't be held I will. So hearing that my Lord Treasurer was gone out of
town with his family because of the sicknesse, I returned home without
staying there, and at the office find Sir W. Pen come home, who looks very
well; and I am gladder to see him than otherwise I should be because of my
hearing so well of him for his serviceablenesse in this late great action.
To the office late, and then home to bed. It struck me very deep this
afternoon going with a hackney coach from my Lord Treasurer's down
Holborne, the coachman I found to drive easily and easily, at last stood
still, and come down hardly able to stand, and told me that he was
suddenly struck very sicke, and almost blind, he could not see; so I
'light and went into another coach, with a sad heart for the poor man and
trouble for myself, lest he should have been struck with the plague, being
at the end of the towne that I took him up; but God have mercy upon us
all! Sir John Lawson, I hear, is worse than yesterday: the King went to
see him to-day most kindly. It seems his wound is not very bad; but he
hath a fever, a thrush, and a hickup, all three together, which are, it
seems, very bad symptoms.

18th (Lord's day). Up, and to church, where Sir W. Pen was the first time
[since he] come from sea, after the battle. Mr. Mills made a sorry sermon
to prove that there was a world to come after this. Home and dined and
then to my chamber, where all the afternoon. Anon comes Mr. Andrews to
see and sing with me, but Mr. Hill not coming, and having business, we
soon parted, there coming Mr. Povy and Creed to discourse about our
Tangier business of money. They gone, I hear Sir W. Batten and my Lady
are returned from Harwich. I went to see them, and it is pretty to see