hat place;
which is very sad, and puts us into great fears of Chatham. Sir W.
Batten and I down by water to Deptford, and there Sir W. Pen and we did
consider of several matters relating to the dispatch of the fire-ships,
and so [Sir] W. Batten and I home again, and there to dinner, my wife
and father having dined, and after dinner, by W. Hewer's lucky advice,
went to Mr. Fenn, and did get him to pay me above L400 of my wages, and
W. Hewer received it for me, and brought it home this night. Thence I
meeting Mr. Moore went toward the other end of the town by coach,
and spying Mercer in the street, I took leave of Moore and 'light and
followed her, and at Paul's overtook her and walked with her through the
dusty street almost to home, and there in Lombard Street met The. Turner
in coach, who had been at my house to see us, being to go out of town
to-morrow to the Northward, and so I promised to see her tomorrow,
and then home, and there to our business, hiring some fire-ships, and
receiving every hour almost letters from Sir W. Coventry, calling for
more fire-ships; and an order from Council to enable us to take any
man's ships; and Sir W. Coventry, in his letter to us, says he do not
doubt but at this time, under an invasion, as he owns it to be, the King
may, by law, take any man's goods. At this business late, and then home;
where a great deal of serious talk with my wife about the sad state we
are in, and especially from the beating up of drums this night for the
trainbands upon pain of death to appear in arms to-morrow morning with
bullet and powder, and money to supply themselves with victuals for
a fortnight; which, considering the soldiers drawn out to Chatham and
elsewhere, looks as if they had a design to ruin the City and give it
up to be undone; which, I hear, makes the sober citizens to think very
sadly of things. So to bed after supper, ill in my mind. This afternoon
Mrs. Williams sent to me to speak with her, which I did, only about
news. I had not spoke with her many a day before by reason of Carcasses
business.

12th. Up very betimes to our business at the office, there hiring of
more fire-ships; and at it close all the morning. At noon home, and Sir
W. Pen dined with us. By and by, after dinner, my wife out by coach to
see her mother; and I in another, being afraid, at this busy time, to be
seen with a woman in a coach, as if I were idle, towards The. Turner's;
but met Sir W. Coventry's boy; and there in