Prince Rupert is very bad still, and so bad, that he do now yield to be
trepanned. It seems, as Dr. Clerke also tells me, it is a clap of the pox
which he got about twelve years ago, and hath eaten to his head and come
through his scull, so his scull must be opened, and there is great fear of
him. Much work I find there is to do in the two Houses in a little time,
and much difference there is between the two Houses in many things to be
reconciled; as in the Bill for examining our accounts; Lord Mordaunt's
Bill for building the City, and several others. A little before noon I
went to the Swan and eat a bit of meat, thinking I should have had
occasion to have stayed long at the house, but I did not, but so home by
coach, calling at Broad Street and taking the goldsmith home with me, and
paid him L15 15s. for my silver standish. He tells me gold holds up its
price still, and did desire me to let him have what old 20s. pieces I
have, and he would give me 3s. 2d. change for each. He gone, I to the
office, where business all the afternoon, and at night comes Mr. Gawden at
my desire to me, and to-morrow I shall pay him some money, and shall see
what present he will make me, the hopes of which do make me to part with
my money out of my chest, which I should not otherwise do, but lest this
alteration in the Controller's office should occasion my losing my
concernment in the Victualling, and so he have no more need of me. He
gone, I to the office again, having come thence home with him to talk, and
so after a little more business I to supper. I then sent for Mercer, and
began to teach her "It is decreed," which will please me well, and so
after supper and reading a little, and my wife's cutting off my hair
short, which is grown too long upon my crown of my head, I to bed. I met
this day in Westminster Hall Sir W. Batten and [Sir] W. Pen, and the
latter since our falling out the other day do look mighty reservedly upon
me, and still he shall do so for me, for I will be hanged before I seek to
him, unless I see I need it.