t, and so friends again. All the
afternoon answering letters and writing letters, and at night to Mr.
Coventry an ample letter in answer to all his and the Duke's business.
Late at night at the office, where my business is great, being now all
alone in town, but I shall go through it with pleasure. So home and to
bed.

23rd. This morning angry a little in the morning, and my house being so
much out of order makes me a little pettish. I went to the office, and
there dispatched business by myself, and so again in the afternoon;
being a little vexed that my brother Tom, by his neglect, do fail to
get a coach for my wife and maid this week, by which she will not be at
Brampton Feast, to meet my Lady at my father's. At night home, and late
packing up things in order to their going to Brampton to-morrow, and so
to bed, quite out of sorts in my mind by reason that the weather is so
bad, and my house all full of wet, and the trouble of going from one
house to another to Sir W. Pen's upon every occasion. Besides much
disturbed by reason of the talk up and down the town, that my Lord
Sandwich is lost; but I trust in God the contrary.

24th. Up early this morning sending the things to the carrier's, and my
boy, who goes to-day, though his mistress do not till next Monday. All
the morning at the office, Sir W. Batten being come to town last night.
I hear, to my great content, that my Lord Sandwich is safe landed in
France. Dined at our chamber, where W. Bowyer with us, and after much
simple talk with him, I left him, and to my office, where all the
afternoon busy till 9 at night, among other things improving my late
experiment at Woolwich about hemp. So home and to bed.

25th. At the office all the morning, reading Mr. Holland's' discourse
of the Navy, lent me by Mr. Turner, and am much pleased with them,
they hitting the very diseases of the Navy, which we are troubled
with now-a-days. I shall bestow writing of them over and much reading
thereof. This morning Sir W. Batten came in to the office and desired
to speak with me; he began by telling me that he observed a strangeness
between him and me of late, and would know the reason of it, telling
me he heard that I was offended with merchants coming to his house and
making contracts there. I did tell him that as a friend I had spoke of
it to Sir W. Pen and desired him to take a time to tell him of it, and
not as a backbiter, with which he was satisfied, but I find that Sir W.
Pen