angier, and my Lord
Tiviot's bringing in of high accounts, and yet if they were higher are
like to pass without exception, and then of my Lord Sandwich sending a
messenger to know whether the King intends to come to Newmarket, as is
talked, that he may be ready to entertain him at Hinchingbroke. Thence
home and dined, and my wife all day putting up her hangings in her
closett, which she do very prettily herself with her own hand, to my
great content. So I to the office till night, about several businesses,
and then went and sat an hour or two with Sir W. Pen, talking very
largely of Sir J. Minnes's simplicity and unsteadiness, and of Sir W.
Batten's suspicious dealings, wherein I was open, and he sufficiently,
so that I do not care for his telling of tales, for he said as much,
but whether that were so or no I said nothing but what is my certain
knowledge and belief concerning him. Thence home to bed in great pain.

6th. Slept pretty well, and my wife waked to ring the bell to call up
our mayds to the washing about 4 o'clock, and I was and she angry that
our bell did not wake them sooner, but I will get a bigger bell. So we
to sleep again till 8 o'clock, and then I up in some ease to the office,
where we had a full board, where we examined Cocke's second account,
when Mr. Turner had drawn a bill directly to be paid the balance
thereof, as Mr. Cocke demanded, and Sir J. Minnes did boldly assert the
truth of it, and that he had examined it, when there is no such thing,
but many vouchers, upon examination, missing, and we saw reason to
strike off several of his demands, and to bring down his 5 per cent.
commission to 3 per cent. So we shall save the King some money, which
both the Comptroller and his clerke had absolutely given away. There
was also two occasions more of difference at the table; the one being
to make out a bill to Captain Smith for his salary abroad as
commander-in-chief in the Streights. Sir J. Minnes did demand an
increase of salary for his being Vice-Admiral in the Downes, he having
received but 40s. without an increase, when Sir J. Lawson, in the same
voyage, had L3, and others have also had increase, only he, because
he was an officer of the board, was worse used than any body else, and
particularly told Sir W. Batten that he was the opposer formerly of his
having an increase, which I did wonder to hear him so boldly lay it to
him. So we hushed up the dispute, and offered, if he would, to examine
prece