most I was
ever yet worth in money. In the evening (my father being gone to my
brother's to lie to-night) my wife, Ashwell, and the boy and I, and the
dogg, over the water and walked to Half-way house, and beyond into the
fields, gathering of cowslipps, and so to Half-way house, with some cold
lamb we carried with us, and there supped, and had a most pleasant walk
back again, Ashwell all along telling us some parts of their mask
at Chelsey School, which was very pretty, and I find she hath a most
prodigious memory, remembering so much of things acted six or seven
years ago. So home, and after reading my vows, being sleepy, without
prayers to bed, for which God forgive me!

27th. Up betimes and to my office, where doing business alone a good
while till people came about business to me. Will Griffin tells me this
morning that Captain Browne, Sir W. Batten's brother-in-law, is dead
of a blow given him two days ago by a seaman, a servant of his, being
drunk, with a stone striking him on the forehead, for which I am sorry,
he having a good woman and several small children. At the office all the
morning, at noon dined at home with my wife, merry, and after dinner by
water to White Hall; but found the Duke of York gone to St. James's for
this summer; and thence with Mr. Coventry, to whose chamber I went, and
Sir W. Pen up to the Duke's closett. And a good while with him about our
Navy business; and so I to White Hall, and there alone a while with my
Lord Sandwich discoursing about his debt to the Navy, wherein he hath
given me some things to resolve him in. Thence to my Lord's lodging,
and thither came Creed to me, and he and I walked a great while in the
garden, and thence to an alehouse in the market place to drink fine
Lambeth ale, and so to Westminster Hall, and after walking there a great
while, home by coach, where I found Mary gone from my wife, she being
too high for her, though a very good servant, and my boy too will be
going in a few days, for he is not for my family, he is grown so out
of order and not to be ruled, and do himself, against his brother's
counsel, desire to be gone, which I am sorry for, because I love the boy
and would be glad to bring him to good. At home with my wife and Ashwell
talking of her going into the country this year, wherein we had like to
have fallen out, she thinking that I have a design to have her go, which
I have not, and to let her stay here I perceive will not be convenient,
for sh