ed Order of the Royal Oak. He died at Huntingdon, 3rd
August, 1673. (Abridged from Noble's "Memoirs of the Cromwells,"
vol. i., p. 70.)--B.]

and Mrs. Wright as proxy for my Lady Jemimah, were witnesses. Very
pretty and plentiful entertainment, could not get away till nine at
night, and so home. My coach cost me 7s. So to prayers, and to bed. This
day though I was merry enough yet I could not get yesterday's quarrel
out of my mind, and a natural fear of being challenged by Holmes for
the words I did give him, though nothing but what did become me as a
principal officer.

23rd. Up betimes and to my office, before noon my wife and I eat
something, thinking to have gone abroad together, but in comes Mr. Hunt,
who we were forced to stay to dinner, and so while that was got ready
he and I abroad about 2 or 3 small businesses of mine, and so back to
dinner, and after dinner he went away, and my wife and I and Ashwell by
coach, set my wife down at her mother's and Ashwell at my Lord's, she
going to see her father and mother, and I to Whitehall, being fearful
almost, so poor a spirit I have, of meeting Major Holmes. By and by
the Duke comes, and we with him about our usual business, and then
the Committee for Tangier, where, after reading my Lord Rutherford's
commission and consented to, Sir R. Ford, Sir W. Rider, and I were
chosen to bring in some laws for the Civill government of it, which I am
little able to do, but am glad to be joyned with them, for I shall learn
something of them. Thence to see my Lord Sandwich, and who should I meet
at the door but Major Holmes. He would have gone away, but I told him I
would not spoil his visitt, and would have gone, but however we fell to
discourse and he did as good as desire excuse for the high words that
did pass in his heat the other day, which I was willing enough to close
with, and after telling him my mind we parted, and I left him to speak
with my Lord, and I by coach home, where I found Will. Howe come home
to-day with my wife, and staid with us all night, staying late up
singing songs, and then he and I to bed together in Ashwell's bed and
she with my wife. This the first time that I ever lay in the room. This
day Greatorex brought me a very pretty weather-glass for heat and cold.

[The thermometer was invented in the sixteenth century, but it is
disputed who the inventor was. The claims of Santorio are supported
by Borelli and Malpighi, while th