The Diary
Chapter List

Chapter_2282

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22nd. Up, and set my people to work in copying Tangier accounts, and I down the river to Greenwich to the office to fetch away some papers and thence to Deptford, where by agreement my Lord Brouncker was to come, but stayed almost till noon, after I had spent an houre with W. Howe talking of my Lord Sandwich’s matters and his folly in minding his pleasures too much nowadays, and permitting himself to be governed by Cuttance to the displeasing of all the Commanders almost of the fleet, and thence we may conceive indeed the rise of all my Lord’s misfortunes of late. At noon my Lord Brouncker did come, but left the keys of the chests we should open, at Sir G. Carteret’s lodgings, of my Lord Sandwich’s, wherein Howe’s supposed jewels are; so we could not, according to my Lord Arlington’s order, see them today; but we parted, resolving to meet here at night: my Lord Brouncker being going with Dr. Wilkins, Mr. Hooke, and others, to Colonel Blunt’s, to consider again of the business of charriots, and to try their new invention. Which I saw here my Lord Brouncker ride in; where the coachman sits astride upon a pole over the horse, but do not touch the horse, which is a pretty odde thing; but it seems it is most easy for the horse, and, as they say, for the man also. Thence I with speede by water home and eat a bit, and took my accounts and to the Duke of Albemarle, where for all I feared of Norwood he was very civil, and Sir Thomas Ingram beyond expectation, I giving them all content and I thereby settled mightily in my mind, for I was weary of the employment, and had had thoughts of giving it over. I did also give a good step in a business of Mr. Hubland’s, about getting a ship of his to go to Tangier, which during this strict embargo is a great matter, and I shall have a good reward for it, I hope. Thence by water in the dark down to Deptford, and there find my Lord Brouncker come and gone, having stayed long for me. I back presently to the Crown tavern behind the Exchange by appointment, and there met the first meeting of Gresham College since the plague. Dr. Goddard did fill us with talk, in defence of his and his fellow physicians going out of town in the plague-time; saying that their particular patients were most gone out of town, and they left at liberty; and a great deal more, etc. But what, among other fine discourse pleased me most, was Sir G. Ent about Respiration; that it is not to this day known, or concluded on among physicians, nor to be done either, how the action is managed by nature, or for what use it is. Here late till poor Dr. Merriot was drunk, and so all home, and I to bed.