Batelier hath been here to-day, and brought with him the pretty girl he
speaks of, to come to serve my wife as a woman, out of the school at Bow.
My wife says she is extraordinary handsome, and inclines to have her, and
I am glad of it--at least, that if we must have one, she should be
handsome. But I shall leave it wholly to my wife, to do what she will
therein.

25th. Up as soon as I could see and to the office to write over fair with
Mr. Hater my last night's work, which I did by nine o'clock, and got it
signed, and so with Sir H. Cholmly, who come to me about his business, to
White Hall: and thither come also my Lord Bruncker: and we by and by
called in, and our paper read; and much discourse thereon by Sir G.
Carteret, my Lord Anglesey, Sir W. Coventry, and my Lord Ashly, and
myself: but I could easily discern that they none of them understood the
business; and the King at last ended it with saying lazily, "Why," says
he, "after all this discourse, I now come to understand it; and that is,
that there can nothing be done in this more than is possible," which was
so silly as I never heard: "and therefore," says he, "I would have these
gentlemen to do as much as possible to hasten the Treasurer's accounts;
and that is all." And so we broke up: and I confess I went away ashamed,
to see how slightly things are advised upon there. Here I saw the Duke of
Buckingham sit in Council again, where he was re-admitted, it seems, the
last Council-day: and it is wonderful to see how this man is come again to
his places, all of them, after the reproach and disgrace done him: so that
things are done in a most foolish manner quite through. The Duke of
Buckingham did second Sir W. Coventry in the advising the King that he
would not concern himself in the owning or not owning any man's accounts,
or any thing else, wherein he had not the same satisfaction that would
satisfy the Parliament; saying, that nothing would displease the
Parliament more than to find him defending any thing that is not right,