man that loves me, and hath ever done so, is also, at this day, one of the
most carefull and innocent men, in the world. Thence with mighty content
homeward, and in my way at the Stockes did buy a couple of lobsters, and
so home to dinner, where I find my wife and father had dined, and were
going out to Hales's to sit there, so Balty and I alone to dinner, and in
the middle of my grace, praying for a blessing upon (these his good
creatures), my mind fell upon my lobsters: upon which I cried, Odd zooks!
and Balty looked upon me like a man at a losse what I meant, thinking at
first that I meant only that I had said the grace after meat instead of
that before meat. But then I cried, what is become of my lobsters?
Whereupon he run out of doors to overtake the coach, but could not, so
came back again, and mighty merry at dinner to thinke of my surprize.
After dinner to the Excise Office by appointment, and there find my Lord
Bellasses and the Commissioners, and by and by the whole company come to
dispute the business of our running so far behindhand there, and did come
to a good issue in it, that is to say, to resolve upon having the debt due
to us, and the Household and the Guards from the Excise stated, and so we
shall come to know the worst of our condition and endeavour for some helpe
from my Lord Treasurer. Thence home, and put off Balty, and so, being
invited, to Sir Christopher Mings's funeral, but find them gone to church.
However I into the church (which is a fair, large church, and a great
chappell) and there heard the service, and staid till they buried him, and
then out. And there met with Sir W. Coventry (who was there out of great
generosity, and no person of quality there but he) and went with him into
his coach, and being in it with him there happened this extraordinary
case, one of the most romantique that ever I heard of in my life, and
could not have believed, but that I did see it; which was this:--About a
dozen able, lusty, proper men come to the coach-side with tears in their
eyes, and one of them that spoke for the rest begun and says to Sir W.
Coventry, "We are here a dozen of us that have long known and loved, and