this; and did give the best advice I could, which, I think, did please
them: and they do apprehend me their friend, as indeed I am, for I do take
the Vice-chamberlain for a most honest man. He did assure me that he was
not, all expences and things paid, clear in estate L15,000 better than he
was when the King come in; and that the King and Lord Chancellor did know
that he was worth, with the debt the King owed him, L50,000, I think, he
said, when the King come into England. I did pacify all I could, and then
away by water home, there to write letters and things for the dispatch of
Balty away this day to sea; and after dinner he did go, I having given him
much good counsell; and I have great hopes that he will make good use of
it, and be a good man, for I find him willing to take pains and very
sober. He being gone, I close at my office all the afternoon getting off
of hand my papers, which, by the late holidays and my laziness, were grown
too many upon my hands, to my great trouble, and therefore at it as late
as my eyes would give me leave, and then by water down to Redriffe,
meaning to meet my wife, who is gone with Mercer, Barker, and the boy (it
being most sweet weather) to walk, and I did meet with them, and walked
back, and then by the time we got home it was dark, and we staid singing
in the garden till supper was ready, and there with great pleasure. But I
tried my girles Mercer and Barker singly one after another, a single song,
"At dead low ebb," etc., and I do clearly find that as to manner of
singing the latter do much the better, the other thinking herself as I do
myself above taking pains for a manner of singing, contenting ourselves
with the judgment and goodness of eare. So to supper, and then parted and
to bed.

13th. Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and strange
how the false fellow Commissioner. Pett was eager to have had Carcasses
business brought on to-day that he might give my Lord Bruncker (who hates
him, I am sure, and hath spoke as much against him to the King in my