Produced by David Widger
(Unabridged)
JANUARY 1666-1667
January 1st. Lay long, being a bitter, cold, frosty day, the frost beingnow grown old, and the Thames covered with ice. Up, and to the office,where all the morning busy. At noon to the 'Change a little, where Mr.James Houblon and I walked a good while speaking of our ill condition innot being able to set out a fleet (we doubt) this year, and the certainill effect that must bring, which is lamentable. Home to dinner, wherethe best powdered goose that ever I eat. Then to the office again, and toSir W. Batten's to examine the Commission going down to Portsmouth toexamine witnesses about our prizes, of which God give a good issue! andthen to the office again, where late, and so home, my eyes sore. Tosupper and to bed.
2nd. Up, I, and walked to White Hall to attend the Duke of York, asusual. My wife up, and with Mrs. Pen to walk in the fields to frost-bitethemselves. I find the Court full of great apprehensions of the French,who have certainly shipped landsmen, great numbers, at Brest; and most ofour people here guess his design for Ireland. We have orders to send allthe ships we can possible to the Downes. God have mercy on us! for we cansend forth no ships without men, nor will men go without money, every daybringing us news of new mutinies among the seamen; so that our conditionis like to be very miserable. Thence to Westminster Hall, and there metall the Houblons, who do laugh at this discourse of the French, and saythey are verily of opinion it is nothing but to send to their plantationin the West Indys, and that we at Court do blow up a design of invadingus, only to make the Parliament make more haste in the money matters, andperhaps it may be so, but I do not believe we have any such plot in ourheads. After them, I, with several people, among others Mr. GeorgeMontagu, whom I have not seen long, he mighty kind. He tells me all islike to go ill, the King displeasing the House of Commons by evading theirBill for examining Accounts, and putting it into a Commission, thoughtherein he hath left out Coventry and I and named all the rest theParliament named, and all country Lords, not one Courtier: this do notplease them. He tells me he finds the enmity almost over for my LordSandwich, and that now all is upon the Vice-Chamberlain, who bears up welland stands upon his vindication, which he seems to like well, and theothers do construe well also. Thence up to the Painted Chamber, and thereheard a conference between the House of Lords and Commons about the WinePatent; which I was exceeding glad to be at, because of my hearingexceeding good discourses, but especially from the Commons; among others,Mr. Swinfen, and a young man, one Sir Thomas Meres: and do outdo theLords infinitely. So down to the Hall and to the Rose Taverne, while DollLane come to me, and we did 'biber a good deal de