herein are several strange imperfections. After dinner
my Lord by a ketch down to Erith, where the Bezan was, it blowing these
last two days and now both night and day very hard southwardly, so that
it has certainly drove the Dutch off the coast. My Lord being gone I
to the office, and there find Captain Ferrers, who tells me his wife is
come to town to see him, having not seen him since 15 weeks ago at his
first going to sea last. She is now at a Taverne and stays all night, so
I was obliged to give him my house and chamber to lie in, which he with
great modesty and after much force took, and so I got Mr. Evelyn's coach
to carry her thither, and the coach coming back, I with Mr. Evelyn to
Deptford, where a little while with him doing a little business, and so
in his coach back again to my lodgings, and there sat with Mrs. Ferrers
two hours, and with my little girle, Mistress Frances Tooker, and very
pleasant. Anon the Captain comes, and then to supper very merry, and so
I led them to bed. And so to bed myself, having seen my pretty little
girle home first at the next door.

26th. Up, and, leaving my guests to make themselves ready, I to the
office, and thither comes Sir Jer. Smith and Sir Christopher Mings to
see me, being just come from Portsmouth and going down to the Fleete.
Here I sat and talked with them a good while and then parted, only Sir
Christopher Mings and I together by water to the Tower; and I find him
a very witty well-spoken fellow, and mighty free to tell his parentage,
being a shoemaker's son, to whom he is now going, and I to the
'Change, where I hear how the French have taken two and sunk one of our
merchant-men in the Streights, and carried the ships to Toulon; so that
there is no expectation but we must fall out with them. The 'Change
pretty full, and the town begins to be lively again, though the streets
very empty, and most shops shut. So back again I and took boat and
called for Sir Christopher Mings at St. Katharine's, who was followed
with some ordinary friends, of which, he says, he is proud, and so down
to Greenwich, the wind furious high, and we with our sail up till I made
it be taken down. I took him, it being 3 o'clock, to my lodgings and did
give him a good dinner and so parted, he being pretty close to me as
to any business of the fleete, knowing me to be a servant of my Lord
Sandwich's. He gone I to the office till night, and then they come and
tell me my wife is come to towne, so I