ght a candle, I was
very angry and begun to find fault with my wife for not commanding her
servants as she ought. Thereupon she giving me some cross answer I did
strike her over her left eye such a blow as the poor wretch did cry out
and was in great pain, but yet her spirit was such as to endeavour to bite
and scratch me. But I coying--[stroking or caressing]--with her made her
leave crying, and sent for butter and parsley, and friends presently one
with another, and I up, vexed at my heart to think what I had done, for
she was forced to lay a poultice or something to her eye all day, and is
black, and the people of the house observed it. But I was forced to rise,
and up and with Sir J. Minnes to White Hall, and there we waited on the
Duke. And among other things Mr. Coventry took occasion to vindicate
himself before the Duke and us, being all there, about the choosing of
Taylor for Harwich. Upon which the Duke did clear him, and did tell us
that he did expect, that, after he had named a man, none of us shall then
oppose or find fault with the man; but if we had anything to say, we ought
to say it before he had chose him. Sir G. Carteret thought himself
concerned, and endeavoured to clear himself: and by and by Sir W. Batten
did speak, knowing himself guilty, and did confess, that being pressed by
the Council he did say what he did, that he was accounted a fanatique; but
did not know that at that time he had been appointed by his Royal
Highness. To which the Duke [replied] that it was impossible but he must
know that he had appointed him; and so it did appear that the Duke did
mean all this while Sir W. Batten. So by and by we parted, and Mr.
Coventry did privately tell me that he did this day take this occasion to
mention the business to give the Duke an opportunity of speaking his mind
to Sir W. Batten in this business, of which I was heartily glad. Thence
home, and not finding Bagwell's wife as I expected, I to the 'Change and
there walked up and down, and then home, and she being come I bid her go
and stay at Mooregate for me, and after going up to my wife (whose eye is
very bad, but she is in very good temper to me), and after dinner I to the
place and walked round the fields again and again, but not finding her I
to the 'Change, and there found her waiting for me and took her away, and
to an alehouse, and there I made much of her, and then away thence and to
another and endeavoured to caress her, but 'elle