f all foreign Embassadors, which it
seems is granted by them of Venice and other States, and expected from
my Lord. Hollis, our King's Embassador there; and that either upon that
score or something else he hath not had his entry yet in Paris, but hath
received several affronts, and among others his harnesse cut, and his
gentlemen of his horse killed, which will breed bad blood if true. They
say also that the King of France hath hired threescore ships of Holland,
and forty of the Swede, but nobody knows what to do; but some great
designs he hath on foot against the next year. Thence by coach home
and to my office, where I spent all the evening till night with Captain
Taylor discoursing about keeping of masts, and when he was gone, with
Sir W. Warren, who did give me excellent discourse about the same thing,
which I have committed to paper, and then fell to other talk of his
being at Chatham lately and there discoursing of his masts. Commissioner
Pett did let fall several scurvy words concerning my pretending to know
masts as well as any body, which I know proceeds ever since I told him I
could measure a piece of timber as well as anybody employed by the King.
But, however, I shall remember him for a black sheep again a good while,
with all his fair words to me, and perhaps may let him know that my
ignorance does the King as much good as all his knowledge, which would
do more it is true if it were well used. Then we fell to talk of Sir
J. Minnes's and Sir W. Batten's burning of Oliver's head, while he was
there; which was done with so much insulting and folly as I never heard
of, and had the Trayned Band of Rochester to come to the solemnity,
which when all comes to all, Commissioner Pett says it never was made
for him; but it troubles me the King should suffer L100 losse in his
purse, to make a new one after it was forgot whose it was, or any words
spoke of it. He being gone I mightily pleased with his discourse, by
which I always learn something, I to read a little in Rushworth, and so
home to supper to my wife, it having been washing day, and so to bed, my
mind I confess a little troubled for my Lord Sandwich's displeasure.
But God will give me patience to bear since it rises from so good an
occasion.

15th. Before I was up, my brother's man came to tell me that my cozen,
Edward Pepys, was dead, died at Mrs. Turner's, for which my wife and
I are very sorry, and the more for that his wife was the only handsome
woman of