he believes may be brought easily to part with them. My Lord Crew, it
seems, is fearfull yet that maters may be enquired into. This I will
endeavour to do, though I do not thinke it signifies much. By and by the
Duke of Yorke comes and we had a meeting and, among other things, I did
read my declaration of the proceedings of the Victualling hired this
yeare, and desired his Royall Highnesse to give me the satisfaction of
knowing whether his Royall Highnesse were pleased therewith. He told me
he was, and that it was a good account, and that the business of the
Victualling was much in a better condition than it was the last yeare;
which did much joy me, being said in the company of my fellows, by which I
shall be able with confidence to demand my salary and the rest of the
subsurveyors. Thence away mightily satisfied to Mrs. Pierces, there to
find my wife. Mrs. Pierce hath lain in of a boy about a month. The boy
is dead this day. She lies in good state, and very pretty she is, but
methinks do every day grow more and more great, and a little too much,
unless they get more money than I fear they do. Thence with my wife and
Mercer to my Lord Chancellor's new house, and there carried them up to the
leads, where I find my Lord Chamberlain, Lauderdale, Sir Robert Murray,
and others, and do find it the most delightfull place for prospect that
ever was in the world, and even ravishing me, and that is all, in short, I
can say of it. Thence to Islington to our old house and eat and drank,
and so round by Kingsland home, and there to the office a little and Sir
W. Batten's, but no newes at all from the fleete, and so home to bed.

27th. Up and to the office, where all the morning busy. At noon dined at
home and then to the office again, and there walking in the garden with
Captain Cocke till 5 o'clock. No newes yet of the fleete. His great
bargaine of Hempe with us by his unknown proposition is disliked by the
King, and so is quite off; of which he is glad, by this means being rid of
his obligation to my Lord Bruncker, which he was tired with, and