end, L300, though, God knows! it is much against my will to lend
any, unless things were in better condition, and likely to continue so.
Thence home and there to dinner, and after dinner by coach out again,
setting my wife down at Unthanke's, and I to the Treasury-chamber, where I
waited, talking with Sir G. Downing, till the Lords met. He tells me how
he will make all the Exchequer officers, of one side and t'other, to lend
the King money upon the Act; and that the least clerk shall lend money,
and he believes the least will L100: but this I do not believe. He made
me almost ashamed that we of the Navy had not in all this time lent any;
so that I find it necessary I should, and so will speedily do it, before
any of my fellows begin, and lead me to a bigger sum. By and by the Lords
come; and I perceive Sir W. Coventry is the man, and nothing done till he
comes. Among other things, I hear him observe, looking over a paper, that
Sir John Shaw is a miracle of a man, for he thinks he executes more places
than any man in England; for there he finds him a Surveyor of some of the
King's woods, and so reckoned up many other places, the most inconsistent
in the world. Their business with me was to consider how to assigne such
of our commanders as will take assignements upon the Act for their wages;
and the consideration thereof was referred to me to give them an answer
the next sitting: which is a horrid poor thing: but they scruple at
nothing of honour in the case. So away hence, and called my wife, and to
the King's house, and saw "The Mayden Queene," which pleases us mightily;
and then away, and took up Mrs. Turner at her door, and so to Mile End,
and there drank, and so back to her house, it being a fine evening, and
there supped. The first time I ever was there since they lived there; and
she hath all things so neat and well done, that I am mightily pleased with
her, and all she do. So here very merry, and then home and to bed, my
eyes being very bad. I find most people pleased with their being at ease,
and safe of a peace, that they may know no more charge or hazard of an
ill-managed war: but nobody speaking of the peace with any content or
pleasure, but are silent in it, as of a thing they are ashamed of; no, not
at Court, much less in the City.

24th (St. Bartholomew's day). This morning was proclaimed the peace
between us and the States of the United Provinces, and also of the King of
France and Denmarke; and in