day I took pleasure to learn the tune of the seaman's dance, which I have
much desired to be perfect in, and have made myself so. So home with my
wife and Deb., and there at the office met to my trouble with a warrant
from the Commissioners of Accounts for my attending them and Cocke two
days hence, which I apprehend by Captain Cocke's being to go also, to be
about the prizes. But, however, there is nothing of crime can be laid to
my charge, and the worst that can be is to refund my L500 profit, and who
can help it. So I resolve not to be troubled at it, though I fear I
cannot bear it so, my spirit being very poor and mean as to the bearing
with trouble that I do find of myself. So home, and there to my chamber
and did some business,--and thence to supper and to bed.

4th. Up, and to the office, where a full Board sat all the morning, busy
among other things concerning a solemn letter we intend to write to the
Duke of York about the state of the things of the Navy, for want of money,
though I doubt it will be to little purpose. After dinner I abroad by
coach to Kate Joyce's, where the jury did sit where they did before, about
her husband's death, and their verdict put off for fourteen days longer,
at the suit of somebody, under pretence of the King; but it is only to get
money out of her to compound the matter. But the truth is, something they
will make out of Stillingfleete's sermon, which may trouble us, he
declaring, like a fool, in his pulpit, that he did confess that his losses
in the world did make him do what he did. This do vex me to see how
foolish our Protestant Divines are, while the Papists do make it the duty
of Confessor to be secret, or else nobody would confess their sins to
them. All being put off for to-day, I took my leave of Kate, who is
mightily troubled at it for her estate sake, not for her husband; for her
sorrow for that, I perceive, is all over. I home, and, there to my office
busy till the evening, and then home, and there my wife and Deb. and I and
Betty Turner, I employed in the putting new titles to my books, which we