sixteen months, which is a sad thing for the King to pay all that interest
for every penny he spends; and, which is strange, the goldsmiths with whom
I spoke, do declare that they will not be moved to part with money upon
the increase of their consideration of ten per cent. which they have, and
therefore desire I would not move in it, and indeed the consequence would
be very ill to the King, and have its ill consequences follow us through
all the King's revenue. Home, and my uncle Wight and aunt James dined
with me, my mother being to go away to-morrow. So to White Hall, and
there before and after Council discoursed with Sir Thomas Ingram about our
ill case as to Tangier for money. He hath got the King to appoint a
meeting on Friday, which I hope will put an end one way or other to my
pain. So homewards and to the Cross Keys at Cripplegate, where I find all
the towne almost going out of towne, the coaches and waggons being all
full of people going into the country. Here I had some of the company of
the tapster's wife a while, and so home to my office, and then home to
supper and to bed.

22nd. Up pretty betimes, and in great pain whether to send my another
into the country to-day or no, I hearing, by my people, that she, poor
wretch, hath a mind to stay a little longer, and I cannot blame her,
considering what a life she will through her own folly lead when she comes
home again, unlike the pleasure and liberty she hath had here. At last I
resolved to put it to her, and she agreed to go, so I would not oppose it,
because of the sicknesse in the towne, and my intentions of removing my
wife. So I did give her money and took a kind leave of her, she, poor
wretch, desiring that I would forgive my brother John, but I refused it to
her, which troubled her, poor soul, but I did it in kind words and so let
the discourse go off, she leaving me though in a great deal of sorrow. So
I to my office and left my wife and people to see her out of town, and I
at the office all the morning. At noon my wife tells me that she is with