which I was glad of, it being cold and dark, and she having her necklace
of pearl on, and none but Mercer with her. Spent the evening in fitting
my books, to have the number set upon each, in order to my having an
alphabet of my whole, which will be of great ease to me. This day Captain
Batters come from sea in his fireship and come to see me, poor man, as his
patron, and a poor painful wretch he is as can be. After supper to bed.

18th. Up, and to the office, where I hear the ill news that poor Batters,
that had been born and bred a seaman, and brought up his ship from sea but
yesterday, was, going down from me to his ship, drowned in the Thames,
which is a sad fortune, and do make me afeard, and will do, more than ever
I was. At noon dined at home, and then by coach to my Lord Bellasses, but
not at home. So to Westminster Hall, where the Lords are sitting still, I
to see Mrs. Martin, who is very well, and intends to go abroad to-morrow
after her childbed. She do tell me that this child did come is 'meme jour
that it ought to hazer after my avoir ete con elle before her marid did
venir home . . . . Thence to the Swan, and there I sent for Sarah,
and mighty merry we were . . . . So to Sir Robert Viner's about my
plate, and carried home another dozen of plates, which makes my stock of
plates up 2 1/2 dozen, and at home find Mr. Thomas Andrews, with whom I
staid and talked a little and invited him to dine with me at Christmas,
and then I to the office, and there late doing business, and so home and
to bed. Sorry for poor Batters.

19th. Up, and by water down to White Hall, and there with the .Duke of
York did our usual business, but nothing but complaints of want of money
[without] success, and Sir W. Coventry's complaint of the defects of our
office (indeed Sir J. Minnes's) without any amendment, and he tells us so
plainly of the Committee of Parliament's resolution to enquire home into
all our managements that it makes me resolve to be wary, and to do all