Mr. Norton, that married Sir J. Lawson's daughter, is dead. She left L800
a year jointure, a son to inherit the whole estate. She freed from her
father-in-law's tyranny, and is in condition to helpe her mother, who
needs it; of which I am glad, the young lady being very pretty. To St.
James's, and there Sir W. Coventry took Sir W. Pen and me apart, and read
to us his answer to the Generalls' letter to the King that he read last
night; wherein he is very plain, and states the matter in full defence of
himself and of me with him, which he could not avoid; which is a good
comfort to me, that I happen to be involved with him in the same cause.
And then, speaking of the supplies which have been made to this fleete,
more than ever in all kinds to any, even that wherein the Duke of Yorke
himself was, "Well," says he, "if this will not do, I will say, as Sir J.
Falstaffe did to the Prince, 'Tell your father, that if he do not like
this let him kill the next Piercy himself,'"--["King Henry IV.," Part I,
act v., sc. 4.]--and so we broke up, and to the Duke, and there did our
usual business. So I to the Parke and there met Creed, and he and I
walked to Westminster to the Exchequer, and thence to White Hall talking
of Tangier matters and Vernatty's knavery, and so parted, and then I
homeward and met Mr. Povy in Cheapside, and stopped and talked a good
while upon the profits of the place which my Lord Bellasses hath made this
last year, and what share we are to have of it, but of this all imperfect,
and so parted, and I home, and there find Mrs. Mary Batelier, and she
dined with us; and thence I took them to Islington, and there eat a
custard; and so back to Moorfields, and shewed Batelier, with my wife,
"Polichinello," which I like the more I see it; and so home with great
content, she being a mighty good-natured, pretty woman, and thence I to
the Victualling office, and there with Mr. Lewes and Willson upon our
Victualling matters till ten at night, and so I home and there late
writing a letter to Sir W. Coventry, and so home to supper and to bed. No
newes where the Dutch are. We begin to think they will steale through the