went and
told the Duke how much he did apprehend himself wronged, in his picking
out his lady of the whole Court to be the subject of his dishonour;
which the Duke did answer with great calmness, not seeming to understand
the reason of complaint, and that was all that passed but my Lord did
presently pack his lady into the country in Derbyshire, near the Peake;
which is become a proverb at Court, to send a man's wife to the Devil's
arse a' Peake, when she vexes him. This noon I did find out Mr. Dixon at
Whitehall, and discoursed with him about Mrs. Wheatly's daughter for
a wife for my brother Tom, and have committed it to him to enquire the
pleasure of her father and mother concerning it. I demanded L300.

20th. Up betimes and to the office, where all the morning. Dined at
home, and Mr. Deane of Woolwich with me, talking about the abuses of
the yard. Then to the office about business all the afternoon with great
pleasure, seeing myself observed by every body to be the only man of
business of us all, but Mr. Coventry. So till late at night, and then
home to supper and bed.

21st. Up early leaving my wife very ill in bed... and to my office till
eight o'clock, there coming Ch. Pepys

[Charles Pepys was second son of Thomas Pepys, elder brother of
Samuel's father. Samuel paid part of the legacy to Charles and his
elder brother Thomas on May 25th, 1664.]

to demand his legacy of me, which I denied him upon good reason of
his father and brother's suing us, and so he went away. Then came
Commissioner Pett, and he and I by agreement went to Deptford, and after
a turn or two in the yard, to Greenwich, and thence walked to Woolwich.
Here we did business, and I on board the Tangier-merchant, a ship
freighted by us, that has long lain on hand in her despatch to Tangier,
but is now ready for sailing. Back, and dined at Mr. Ackworth's, where
a pretty dinner, and she a pretty, modest woman; but above all things
we saw her Rocke, which is one of the finest things done by a woman that
ever I saw. I must have my wife to see it. After dinner on board the
Elias, and found the timber brought by her from the forest of Deane to
be exceeding good. The Captain gave each of us two barrels of pickled
oysters put up for the Queen mother. So to the Dock again, and took in
Mrs. Ackworth and another gentlewoman, and carried them to London, and
at the Globe tavern, in Eastcheap, did give them a glass of wine, and so
parted. I home