their courage, generosity, good nature; and would excuse all their
miscarriages in relation to unfortunate effects of the late war, as
if it were a convulsion of some desperate and infatuated persons,
rather than from the genius and temper of the kingdom" ("Memoirs of
Sir John Reresby," ed. Cartwright, pp. 43, 45).]

So by coach home, where at the office all the morning, and at noon Mrs.
Hunt dined with us. Very merry, and she a very good woman. To the
office, where busy a while putting some things in my office in order, and
then to letters till night. About 10 a'clock home, the days being
sensibly shorter before I have once kept a summer's day by shutting up
office by daylight; but my life hath been still as it was in winter
almost. But I will for a month try what I can do by daylight. So home to
supper and to bed.

30th. Up and to White Hall, to the Duke of Albemarle, who I find at
Secretary Bennet's, there being now no other great Statesman, I think, but
my Lord Chancellor, in towne. I received several commands from them;
among others, to provide some bread and cheese for the garrison at
Guernsey, which they promised to see me paid for. So to the 'Change, and
home to dinner. In the afternoon I down to Woolwich and after me my wife
and Mercer, whom I led to Mr. Sheldon's to see his house, and I find it a
very pretty place for them to be at. So I back again, walking both
forward and backward, and left my wife to come by water. I straight to
White Hall, late, to Secretary Bennet's to give him an account of the
business I received from him to-day, and there staid weary and sleepy till
past 12 at night. Then writ my mind to him, and so back by water and in
the dark and against tide shot the bridge, groping with their pole for the
way, which troubled me before I got through. So home, about one or two
o'clock in the morning, my family at a great losse what was become of me.