f their wages
certain sums to form a fund for relief. The property became
considerable, as well as the abuses, and in 1802 the Chest was
removed to Greenwich. In 1817, the stock amounted to L300,000
Consols."--Hist. of Rochester, p. 346.--B.]

and after my readiness to be informed did appear to him, he did produce
a paper, wherein he stated the government of the Chest to me; and upon
the whole did tell me how it hath ever been abused, and to this day
is; and what a meritorious act it would be to look after it; which I am
resolved to do, if God bless me; and do thank him very much for it.
So home, and after a turn or two upon the leads with my wife, who
has lately had but little of my company, since I begun to follow my
business, but is contented therewith since she sees how I spend my time,
and so to bed.

4th. Up by five o'clock, and after my journall put in order, to my
office about my business, which I am resolved to follow, for every day
I see what ground I get by it. By and by comes Mr. Cooper, mate of the
Royall Charles, of whom I intend to learn mathematiques, and do begin
with him to-day, he being a very able man, and no great matter,
I suppose, will content him. After an hour's being with him at
arithmetique (my first attempt being to learn the multiplication-table);
then we parted till to-morrow. And so to my business at my office again
till noon, about which time Sir W. Warren did come to me about business,
and did begin to instruct me in the nature of fine timber and deals,
telling me the nature of every sort; and from that we fell to discourse
of Sir W. Batten's corruption and the people that he employs, and
from one discourse to another of the kind. I was much pleased with his
company, and so staid talking with him all alone at my office till 4 in
the afternoon, without eating or drinking all day, and then parted,
and I home to eat a bit, and so back again to my office; and toward the
evening came Mr. Sheply, who is to go out of town to-morrow, and so he
and I with much ado settled his accounts with my Lord, which, though
they be true and honest, yet so obscure, that it vexes me to see in what
manner they are kept. He being gone, and leave taken of him as of a man
likely not to come to London again a great while, I eat a bit of bread
and butter, and so to bed. This day I sent my brother Tom, at his
request, my father's old Bass Viall which he and I have kept so long,
but I fear Tom