30th This afternoon I got my £50, due to me for my first quarter’s salary as Secretary to my Lord, paid to Tho Hater for me, which he received and brought home to me, of which I felt glad The swordbearer of London (Mr Man) came to ask for us, with whom we sat late, discoursing about the worth of my office of Clerke of the Acts, which he hath a mind to buy, and I asked four years’ purchase.

31st To White Hall, where my Lord and the principal officers met, and had a great discourse about raising of money for the Navy, which is in very sad condition, and money must be raised for it I back to the Admiralty, and there was doing things in order to the calculating of the debts of the Navy and other business, all the afternoon At night I went to the Privy Seale, where I found Mr Crofts and Mathews making up all their things to leave the office to-morrow, to those that come to wait the next month.

August 1st In the afternoon at the office, where we had many things to sign and I went to the Council Chamber, and there got my Lord to sign the first bill, and the rest all myself, but received no money today.

2nd To Westminster by water with Sir W Batten and Sir W Pen, (our servants in another boat) to the Admiralty, and from thence I went to my Lord’s to fetch him thither, where we stayed in the morning about ordering of money for the victuallers and advising how to get a sum of money to carry on the business of the Navy From thence W Hewer and I to the office of Privy Seale, where I stayed all the afternoon, and received about £40 for yesterday and today, at which my heart rejoiced for God’s blessing to me, to give me this advantage by chance, there being of this £40 about £10 due to me for this day’s work So great is the present profit of this office, above what it was in the King’s time, there being the last month about 300 bills, whereas in the late King’s time it was much to have 40 I went and cast up the expense that I laid out upon my former house, (because there are so many that are desirous of it, and I am, in my mind, loth to let it go out of my hands, for fear of a turn) I find my layings-out to come to about £20 which with my fine will come to about £22 to him that shall hire my house of me.

4th To White Hall, where I found my Lord gone with the King by water to dine at the Tower with Sir J Robinson,¹⁴⁰ Lieutenant I found my Lady Jemimah,¹⁴¹ at my Lord’s, with whom I staid and dined, all alone, after dinner to the Privy Seale Office, where I did business So to a Committee of Parliament, (Sir Hen Finch,¹⁴² Chairman), to give them an answer to an order of theirs, ‘that we could not give them any account of the Accounts of the Navy in the years 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, as they desire.

6th This night Mr Man offered me £1000 for my office of Clerke of the Acts, which made my mouth water, but yet I dare not take it till I speak with my Lord to have his consent.

7th Mr Moore and myself dined at my Lord’s with Mr Shepley While I was at dinner in come Sam Hartlibb¹⁴³ and his brother-in-law, now knighted by the King, to request my promise of a ship for them to Holland, which I had promised to get for them After dinner to the Privy Seale all the afternoon At night, meeting Sam Hartlibb, he took me by coach to Kensington, to my Lord of Holland’s, I staid in the coach while he went in about his business.

9th With Judge Advocate Fowler, Mr Creed, and Mr Shepley to the Rhenish Wine-house, and Captain Hayward of the Plymouth, who is now ordered to carry my Lord Winchelsea, Embassador to Constantinople We were very merry, and Judge Advocate did give Captain Hayward his Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy.

10th With Mr Moore and Creed to Hide-parke by coach, and saw a fine foot-race three times round the Park, between an Irishman and Crow, that was once my Lord Claypoole’s¹⁴⁴ footman By the way I cannot forget that my Lord Claypoole did the other day make enquiry of Mrs Hunt, concerning my House in Axe-yard, and did set her on work to get it of me for him, which methinks is a very great change But blessed be God for my good chance of the Privy Seale, where I get every day I believe about £3 This place my Lord did give me by chance, neither he nor I thinking it to be of the worth that he and I find it to be.