pretences, I think; to it, besides the King's. Thence took up my wife,
whom I had left at her tailor's, and home, and there, to save my eyes, got
my wife at home to read again, as last night, in the same book, till W.
Batelier come and spent the evening talking with us, and supped with us,
and so to bed.

19th. To the office, and thence before noon I, by the Board's direction,
to the Parliament House to speak with Sir R. Brookes about the meaning of
an order come to us this day to bring all the books of the office to the
Committee. I find by him that it is only about the business of an order
of ours for paying off the ships by ticket, which they think I on behalf
of my Lord Bruncker do suppress, which vexes me, and more at its
occasioning the bringing them our books. So home and to dinner, where Mr.
Shepley with me, newly come out of the country, but I was at little
liberty to talk to him, but after dinner with two contracts to the
Committee, with Lord Bruncker and Sir T. Harvy, and there did deliver
them, and promised at their command more, but much against my will. And
here Sir R. Brookes did take me alone, and pray me to prevent their
trouble, by discovering the order he would have. I told him I would
suppress none, nor could, but this did not satisfy him, and so we parted,
I vexed that I should bring on myself this suspicion. Here I did stand by
unseen, and did hear their impertinent yet malicious examinations of some
rogues about the business of Bergen, wherein they would wind in something
against my Lord Sandwich (it was plain by their manner of examining, as
Sir Thomas Crew did afterwards observe to me, who was there), but all
amounted to little I think. But here Sir Thomas Crew and W. Hewer, who
was there also, did tell me that they did hear Captain Downing give a
cruel testimony against my Lord Bruncker, for his neglect, and doing
nothing, in the time of straits at Chatham, when he was spoke to, and did
tell the Committee that he, Downing, did presently after, in Lord