16th. Up, having slept well, and after entering my journal, to the
office, where all the morning, but of late Sir W. Coventry hath not come
to us, he being discouraged from the little we have to do but to answer
the clamours of people for money. At noon home, and there dined with me
my Lady Pen only and W. Hewer at a haunch of venison boiled, where pretty
merry, only my wife vexed me a little about demanding money to go with my
Lady Pen to the Exchange to lay out. I to the office, where all the
afternoon and very busy and doing much business; but here I had a most
eminent experience of the evil of being behindhand in business. I was the
most backward to begin any thing, and would fain have framed to myself an
occasion of going abroad, and should, I doubt, have done it, but some
business coming in, one after another, kept me there, and I fell to the
ridding away of a great deale of business, and when my hand was in it was
so pleasing a sight to [see] my papers disposed of, and letters answered,
which troubled my book and table, that I could have continued there with
delight all night long, and did till called away by my Lady Pen and Pegg
and my wife to their house to eat with them; and there I went, and
exceeding merry, there being Nan Wright, now Mrs. Markham, and sits at
table with my Lady. So mighty merry, home and to bed. This day Sir W.
Batten did show us at the table a letter from Sir T. Allen, which says
that we have taken ten or twelve' ships (since the late great expedition
of burning their ships and towne), laden with hempe, flax, tarr, deales,
&c. This was good newes; but by and by comes in Sir G. Carteret, and he
asked us with full mouth what we would give for good newes. Says Sir W.
Batten, "I have better than you, for a wager." They laid sixpence, and we
that were by were to give sixpence to him that told the best newes. So
Sir W. Batten told his of the ten or twelve ships Sir G. Carteret did then
tell us that upon the newes of the burning of the ships and towne the
common people a Amsterdam did besiege De Witt's house, and he was force to
flee to the Prince of Orange, who is gone to Cleve to the marriage of his