Duke of Albemarle and Kate Joyce's and her husband, with whom I talked a
great deale about Pall's business, and told them what portion I would give
her, and they do mightily like of it and will proceed further in speaking
with Harman, who hath already been spoke to about it, as from them only,
and he is mighty glad of it, but doubts it may be an offence to me, if I
should know of it, so thinks that it do come only from Joyce, which I like
the better. So I do believe the business will go on, and I desire it were
over. I to the office then, where I did much business, and set my people
to work against furnishing me to go to Hampton Court, where the King and
Duke will be on Sunday next. It is now certain that the King of France
hath publickly declared war against us, and God knows how little fit we
are for it. At night comes Sir W. Warren, and he and I into the garden,
and talked over all our businesses. He gives me good advice not to
embarke into trade (as I have had it in my thoughts about Colonell
Norwood) so as to be seen to mind it, for it will do me hurte, and draw my
mind off from my business and embroile my estate too soon. So to the
office business, and I find him as cunning a man in all points as ever I
met with in my life and mighty merry we were in the discourse of our owne
trickes. So about to o'clock at night I home and staid with him there
settling my Tangier-Boates business and talking and laughing at the folly
of some of our neighbours of this office till two in the morning and so to
bed.

26th. Up, and pleased mightily with what my poor wife hath been doing
these eight or ten days with her owne hands, like a drudge in fitting the
new hangings of our bed-chamber of blue, and putting the old red ones into
my dressing-room, and so by coach to White Hall, where I had just now
notice that Sir G. Carteret is come to towne. He seems pleased, but I
perceive he is heartily troubled at this Act, and the report of his losing
his place, and more at my not writing to him to the prejudice of the Act.