possession, and expects
L1000 in money by the death of an old aunt. He hath neither father,
mother, sister, nor brother, but demands L600 down, and L100 on the
birth of first child, which I had some inclination to stretch to. He is
kinsman to, and lives with, Mr. Phillips, but my wife tells me he is a
drunken, ill-favoured, ill-bred country fellow, which sets me off of it
again, and I will go on with Harman. So after supper to bed.

20th. Up and to the office, where busy all the morning. At noon dined in
haste, and so my wife, Mrs. Barbary, Mercer, and I by coach to Hales's,
where I find my wife's picture now perfectly finished in all respects,
and a beautiful picture it is, as almost I ever saw. I sat again, and
had a great deale done, but, whatever the matter is, I do not fancy
that it has the ayre of my face, though it will be a very fine picture.
Thence home and to my business, being post night, and so home to supper
and to, bed.

21st. Up betimes, and first by coach to my Lord Generall to visitt
him, and then to the Duke of Yorke, where we all met and did our usual
business with him; but, Lord! how everything is yielded to presently,
even by Sir W. Coventry, that is propounded by the Duke, as now to have
Troutbecke, his old surgeon, and intended to go Surgeon-General of the
fleete, to go Physician-General of the fleete, of which there never
was any precedent in the world, and he for that to have L20 per month.
Thence with Lord Bruncker to Sir Robert Long, whom we found in his
closett, and after some discourse of business he fell to discourse at
large and pleasant, and among other things told us of the plenty of
partridges in France, where he says the King of France and his company
killed with their guns, in the plain de Versailles, 300 and odd
partridges at one bout. Thence I to the Excise Office behind the
'Change, and there find our business of our tallys in great disorder as
to payment, and thereupon do take a resolution of thinking how to remedy
it, as soon as I can. Thence home, and there met Sir W. Warren, and
after I had eat a bit of victuals (he staying in the office) he and I
to White Hall. He to look after the business of the prize ships which we
are endeavouring to buy, and hope to get money by them. So I to London
by coach and to Gresham College, where I staid half an houre, and so
away home to my office, and there walking late alone in the darke in
the garden with Sir W. Warren, who tells me that at