hould bend themselves to serve the King with that
diligence, whereby much of my pains proves ineffectual.

APRIL 1664

April 1st. Up and to my office, where busy till noon, and then to the
'Change, where I found all the merchants concerned with the presenting
their complaints to the Committee of Parliament appointed to receive
them this afternoon against the Dutch. So home to dinner, and thence by
coach, setting my wife down at the New Exchange, I to White Hall; and
coming too soon for the Tangier Committee walked to Mr. Blagrave for a
song. I left long ago there, and here I spoke with his kinswoman, he
not being within, but did not hear her sing, being not enough acquainted
with her, but would be glad to have her, to come and be at my house a
week now and then. Back to White Hall, and in the Gallery met the Duke
of Yorke (I also saw the Queene going to the Parke, and her Mayds
of Honour: she herself looks ill, and methinks Mrs. Stewart is grown
fatter, and not so fair as she was); and he called me to him, and
discoursed a good while with me; and after he was gone, twice or thrice
staid and called me again to him, the whole length of the house: and
at last talked of the Dutch; and I perceive do much wish that the
Parliament will find reason to fall out with them. He gone, I by and by
found that the Committee of Tangier met at the Duke of Albemarle's, and
so I have lost my labour. So with Creed to the 'Change, and there took
up my wife and left him, and we two home, and I to walk in the garden
with W. Howe, whom we took up, he having been to see us, he tells me
how Creed has been questioned before the Council about a letter that
has been met with, wherein he is mentioned by some fanatiques as a
serviceable friend to them, but he says he acquitted himself well in it,
but, however, something sticks against him, he says, with my Lord, at
which I am not very sorry, for I believe he is a false fellow. I walked
with him to Paul's, he telling me how my Lord is little at home, minds
his carding and little else, takes little notice of any body; but that
he do not think he is displeased, as I fear, with me, but is strange to
all, which makes me the less troubled. So walked back home, and late at
the office. So home and to bed. This day Mrs. Turner did lend me, as
a rarity, a manuscript of one Mr. Wells, writ long ago, teaching the
method of building a ship, which pleases me mightily. I was at it
to-night, but durst not stay