contract. And so up, and to walk all the evening with
my wife and Mrs. Turner in the garden, till supper, about eleven at
night; and so, after supper, parted, and to bed, my eyes bad, but not
worse, only weary with working. But, however, I very melancholy under
the fear of my eyes being spoiled, and not to be recovered; for I am
come that I am not able to readout a small letter, and yet my sight good
for the little while I can read, as ever they were, I think.

JULY 1668

July 1st. Up; and all the morning we met at the office about the
Victualler's contract. At noon home to dinner, my Cozen Roger, come
newly to town, dined with us, and mighty importunate for our coming down
to Impington, which I think to do, this Sturbridge fair. Thence I set
him down at the Temple, and Commissioner Middleton dining the first time
with me, he and I to White Hall, and so to St. James's, where we met;
and much business with the Duke of York. And I find the Duke of York
very hot for regulations in the Navy; and, I believe, is put on it by
W. Coventry; and I am glad of it; and particularly, he falls heavy
on Chatham-yard,, and is vexed that Lord Anglesey did, the other day,
complain at the Council-table of disorders in the Navy, and not to him.
So I to White Hall to a Committee of Tangier; and there vexed, with the
importunity and clamours of Alderman Backewell, for my acquittance
for money supplied by him to the garrison, before I have any order for
paying it: so home, calling at several places-among others, the 'Change,
and on Cooper, to know when my wife shall come to sit for her picture,
which will be next week, and so home and to walk with my wife, and then
to supper and to bed.

2nd. Called up by a letter from W. Coventry telling me that the
Commissioners of Accounts intend to summons me about Sir W. Warren's
Hamburg contract, and so I up and to W. Coventry's (he and G. Carteret
being the party concerned in it), and after conference with him about it
to satisfaction I home again to the office. At noon home to dinner, and
then all the afternoon busy to prepare an answer to this demand of the
Commissioners of Accounts, and did discourse with Sir W. Warren about
it, and so in the evening with my wife and Deb. by coach to take ayre
to Mile-end, and so home and I to bed, vexed to be put to this frequent
trouble in things we deserve best in.

3rd. Betimes to the office, my head full of this business. Then by coach
to the Commissi