long, only a little at dinner, and so to
work again, and were at it till 2 in the morning, and so W. Hewer, who was
with me all day, home to his lodging, and I to bed, after we had finished
it.

17th. Up, and set my man Gibson and Mr. Fists to work to write it over
fair, while I all the morning at the office sitting. At noon home to
them, and all the afternoon looking over them and examining with W. Hewer,
and so about to at night I to bed, leaving them to finish the writing it
fair, which they did by sitting up most of the night, and so home to bed.

18th. All the morning at the office about Sir W. Warren's accounts, my
mind full of my business, having before we met gone to Lord Brouncker, and
got him to read over my paper, who owns most absolute content in it, and
the advantage I have in it, and the folly of the Surveyor. At noon home
to dinner; and then again to the office a while, and so by hackney coach
to Brooke House, and there spoke with Colonel Thomson, I by order carrying
them [the Commissioners of Accounts] our Contract-books, from the
beginning to the end of the late war. I found him finding of errors in a
ship's book, where he shewed me many, which must end in the ruin, I doubt,
of the Controller, who found them not out in the pay of the ship, or the
whole Office. But I took little notice of them to concern myself in them,
but so leaving my books I home to the Office, where the office met, and
after some other business done, fell to mine, which the Surveyor begun to
be a little brisk at the beginning; but when I come to the point to touch
him, which I had all the advantages in the world to do, he become as calm
as a lamb, and owned, as the whole Board did, their satisfaction, and
cried excuse: and so all made friends; and their acknowledgment put into
writing, and delivered into Sir J. Minnes's hand, to be kept there for the
use of the Board, or me, when I shall call for it; they desiring it might
be so, that I might not make use of it to the prejudice of the Surveyor,
whom I had an advantage over, by his extraordinary folly in this matter.
But, besides this, I have no small advantage got by this business, as I
have put several things into my letter which I should otherwise have
wanted an opportunity of saying, which pleases me mightily. So Middleton
desiring to be friends, I forgave him; and all mighty quiet, and fell to
talk of other stories, and there staid, all of us, till nine or ten at
night,