from Captain Cocke; and in houseing them at Mr. Tooker's lodgings come two
of the Custome-house to seize them, and did seize them but I showed them
my 'Transire'. However, after some hot and angry words, we locked them
up, and sealed up the key, and did give it to the constable to keep till
Monday, and so parted. But, Lord! to think how the poor constable come
to me in the dark going home; "Sir," says he, "I have the key, and if you
would have me do any service for you, send for me betimes to-morrow
morning, and I will do what you would have me." Whether the fellow do
this out of kindness or knavery, I cannot tell; but it is pretty to
observe. Talking with him in the high way, come close by the bearers with
a dead corpse of the plague; but, Lord! to see what custom is, that I am
come almost to think nothing of it. So to my lodging, and there, with Mr.
Hater and Will, ending a business of the state of the last six months'
charge of the Navy, which we bring to L1,000,000 and above, and I think we
do not enlarge much in it if anything. So to bed.

8th (Lord's day). Up and, after being trimmed, to the office, whither I
upon a letter from the Duke of Albemarle to me, to order as many ships
forth out of the river as I can presently, to joyne to meet the Dutch;
having ordered all the Captains of the ships in the river to come to me, I
did some business with them, and so to Captain Cocke's to dinner, he being
in the country. But here his brother Solomon was, and, for guests,
myself, Sir G. Smith, and a very fine lady, one Mrs. Penington, and two
more gentlemen. But, both [before] and after dinner, most witty discourse
with this lady, who is a very fine witty lady, one of the best I ever
heard speake, and indifferent handsome. There after dinner an houre or
two, and so to the office, where ended my business with the Captains; and
I think of twenty-two ships we shall make shift to get out seven. (God
helpe us! men being sick, or provisions lacking.) And so to write letters
to Sir Ph. Warwicke, Sir W. Coventry, and Sir G. Carteret to Court about