20th. Up and to the office, where busy all the morning. At noon dined in
haste, and so my wife, Mrs. Barbary, Mercer, and I by coach to Hales's,
where I find my wife's picture now perfectly finished in all respects, and
a beautiful picture it is, as almost I ever saw. I sat again, and had a
great deale done, but, whatever the matter is, I do not fancy that it has
the ayre of my face, though it will be a very fine picture. Thence home
and to my business, being post night, and so home to supper and to, bed.

21st. Up betimes, and first by coach to my Lord Generall to visitt him,
and then to the Duke of Yorke, where we all met and did our usual business
with him; but, Lord! how everything is yielded to presently, even by Sir
W. Coventry, that is propounded by the Duke, as now to have Troutbecke,
his old surgeon, and intended to go Surgeon-General of the fleete, to go
Physician-General of the fleete, of which there never was any precedent in
the world, and he for that to have L20 per month. Thence with Lord
Bruncker to Sir Robert Long, whom we found in his closett, and after some
discourse of business he fell to discourse at large and pleasant, and
among other things told us of the plenty of partridges in France, where he
says the King of France and his company killed with their guns, in the
plain de Versailles, 300 and odd partridges at one bout. Thence I to the
Excise Office behind the 'Change, and there find our business of our
tallys in great disorder as to payment, and thereupon do take a resolution
of thinking how to remedy it, as soon as I can. Thence home, and there
met Sir W. Warren, and after I had eat a bit of victuals (he staying in
the office) he and I to White Hall. He to look after the business of the
prize ships which we are endeavouring to buy, and hope to get money by
them. So I to London by coach and to Gresham College, where I staid half
an houre, and so away home to my office, and there walking late alone in
the darke in the garden with Sir W. Warren, who tells me that at the
Committee of the Lords for the prizes to-day, there passed very high words