business together at the table well enough, but no friendship or intimacy since our late difference about his closet, nor do I desire to have any. At noon dined well, and my brother and I to write over once more with my own hand my catalogue of books, while he reads to me. After something of that done, and dined, I to the office, where all the afternoon till night busy. At night, having done all my office matters, I home, and my brother and I to go on with my catalogue, and so to supper. Mrs. Turner come to me this night again to condole her condition and the ill usage she receives from my Lord Bruncker, which I could never have expected from him, and shall be a good caution to me while I live. She gone, I to supper, and then to read a little, and to bed. This night comes home my new silver snuffe-dish, which I do give myself for my closet, which is all I purpose to bestow in plate of myself, or shall need, many a day, if I can keep what I have. So to bed. I am very well pleased this night with reading a poem I brought home with me last night from Westminster Hall, of Dryden's' upon the present war; a very good poem.
3rd (Lord's day). Up, and with Sir W. Batten and [Sir] W. Pen to White
Hall, and there to Sir W. Coventry's chamber, and there staid till
he was ready, talking, and among other things of the Prince's being
trepanned, which was in doing just as we passed through the Stone
Gallery, we asking at the door of his lodgings, and were told so. We are
all full of wishes for the good success; though I dare say but few do
really concern ourselves for him in our hearts. Up to the Duke of York,
and with him did our business we come about, and among other things
resolve upon a meeting at the office to-morrow morning, Sir W. Coventry
to be there to determine of all things necessary for the setting of Sir
W. Pen to work in his Victualling business. This did awake in me some
thoughts of what might in discourse fall out touching my imployment, and
did give me some apprehension of trouble. Having done here, and after
our laying our necessities for money open to the Duke of York, but
nothing obtained concerning it, we parted, and I with others into the
House, and there hear that the work is done to the Prince in a few
minutes without any pain at all to him, he not knowing when it was done.
It was performed by Moulins. Having cut the outward table, as they call
corrupted, so as it come out without any force; and their fear is, that
the whole inside of his head is corrupted like that, which do yet make
them afeard of him; but no ill accident appeared in the doing of the
thing, but all with all imaginable success, as Sir Alexander Frazier did
tell me himself, I asking him, who is very kind to me. I to the Chapel a
little, but hearing nothing did take a turn into the Park, and then back
to Chapel and heard a very good Anthem to my heart's delight, and then
to Sir G. Carteret's to dinner, and before dinner did walk with him
alone a good while, and from him hear our case likely for all these acts
to be bad for money, which troubles me, the year speeding so fast, and
he tells me that he believes the Duke of York will go to sea with the
fleete, which I am sorry for in respect to his person, but yet there is
no person in condition to command the fleete, now the Captains are
grown so great, but him, it being impossible for anybody else but him to
command any order or discipline among them. He tells me there is nothing
at all in the late discourse about my Lord Sandwich and the French
Embassador meeting and contending for the way, which I wonder at, to see
the confidence of report without any ground. By and by to dinner, where
very good company. Among other discourse, we talked much of Nostradamus
[Michael Nostradamus, a physician and astrologer, born in the
diocese of Avignon, 1503. Amongst other predictions, one was
interpreted as foreshowing the singular death of Hen. II. of France,
by which his reputation was increased.]
his prophecy of these times, and the burning of the City of London, some of whose verses are put into Booker's' Almanack this year; and Sir G. Carteret did tell a story, how at his death he did make the town swear that he should never be dug up, or his tomb opened, after he was buried; but they did after sixty years do it, and upon his breast they found a plate of brasse, saying what a wicked and unfaithful people the people of that place were, who after so many vows should disturb and open him such a day and year and hour; which, if true, is very strange. Then we fell to talking of the burning of the City; and my Lady Carteret herself did tell us how abundance of pieces of burnt papers were cast by the wind as far as Cranborne; and among others she took up one, or had one brought her to see, which was a little bit of paper that had been printed, whereon there remained no more nor less than these words: "Time is, it is done." After dinner I went and took a turn into the Park, and then took boat and away home, and there to my chamber and to read, but did receive some letters from Sir W. Coventry, touching the want of victuals to Kempthorne's' fleete going to the Streights and now in the Downes: which did trouble me, he saying that this disappointment might prove fatal; and the more, because Sir W. Coventry do intend to come to the office upon business to-morrow morning, and I shall not know what answer to give him. This did mightily trouble my mind; however, I fell to read a little in Hakewill's Apology, and did satisfy myself mighty fair in the truth of the saying that the world do not grow old at all, but is in as good condition in all respects as ever it was as to nature. I continued reading this book with great pleasure till supper, and then to bed sooner than ordinary, for rising betimes in the morning to-morrow. So after reading my usual vows to bed, my mind full of trouble against to-morrow, and did not sleep any good time of the night for thoughts of to-morrow morning's trouble.
4th. I up, with my head troubled to think of the issue of this morning, so made ready and to the office, where Mr. Gawden comes, and he and I discoursed the business well, and thinks I shall get off well enough; but I do by Sir W. Coventry's silence conclude that he is not satisfied in my management of my place and the charge it puts the King to, which I confess I am not in present condition through my late laziness to give any good answer to. But here do D. Gawden give me a good cordiall this morning, by telling me that he do give me five of the eight hundred pounds on his account remaining in my hands to myself, for the service I do him in my victualling business, and £100 for my particular share of the profits of my Tangier imployment as Treasurer. This do begin to make my heart glad, and I did dissemble it the better, so when Sir W. Coventry did come, and the rest met, I did appear unconcerned, and did give him answer pretty satisfactory what he asked me; so that I did get off this meeting without any ground lost, but rather a great deal gained by interposing that which did belong to my duty to do, and neither [Sir] W. Coventry nor (Sir) W. Yen did oppose anything thereunto, which did make my heart very glad. All the morning at this work, Sir W. Pen making a great deal of do for the fitting him in his setting out in his employment, and I do yield to any trouble that he gives me without any contradiction. Sir W. Coventry being gone, we at noon to dinner to Sir W. Pen's, he inviting me and my wife, and there a pretty good dinner, intended indeed for Sir W. Coventry, but he would not stay. So here I was mighty merry and all our differences seemingly blown over, though he knows, if he be not a fool, that I love him not, and I do the like that he hates me. Soon as dined, my wife and I out to the Duke's playhouse, and there saw "Heraclius," an excellent play, to my extraordinary content; and the more from the house being very full, and great company; among others, Mrs. Steward, very fine, with her locks done up with puffes, as my wife calls them: and several other great ladies had their hair so, though I do not like it;