bed, glad to be at a little quiett.

20th (Lord's day). With my wife to church in the morning. At noon dined
mighty nobly, ourselves alone. After dinner my wife and Mercer by coach
to Greenwich, to be gossip to Mrs. Daniel's child. I out to Westminster,
and straight to Mrs. Martin's, and there did what I would with her, she
staying at home all the day for me; and not being well pleased with her
over free and loose company, I away to Westminster Abbey, and there fell
in discourse with Mr. Blagrave, whom I find a sober politique man, that
gets money and increase of places, and thence by coach home, and thence by
water after I had discoursed awhile with Mr. Yeabsly, whom I met and took
up in my coach with me, and who hath this day presented my Lord Ashly with
L100 to bespeak his friendship to him in his accounts now before us; and
my Lord hath received it, and so I believe is as bad, as to bribes, as
what the world says of him. Calling on all the Victualling ships to know
what they had of their complements, and so to Deptford, to enquire after a
little business there, and thence by water back again, all the way coming
and going reading my Lord Bacon's "Faber Fortunae," which I can never read
too often, and so back home, and there find my wife come home, much
pleased with the reception she had there, and she was godmother, and did
hold the child at the Font, and it is called John. So back again home, and
after setting my papers in order and supping, to bed, desirous to rise
betimes in the morning.

21st. Up between 4 and 5 o'clock and to set several papers to rights, and
so to the office, where we had an extraordinary meeting. But, Lord! how
it torments me to find myself so unable to give an account of my
Victualling business, which puts me out of heart in every thing else, so
that I never had a greater shame upon me in my owne mind, nor more trouble
as to publique business than I have now, but I will get out of it as soon