Pepy's Diary. 13 Dec 1662. By and by we sat, Mr. Coventry (age 34) and I (Sir G. Carteret (age 52) being gone), and among other things, Field and Stint did come, and received the £41 given him by the judgement against me and Harry Kem¹; and we did also sign bonds in £500 to stand to the award of Mr. Porter (age 31) and Smith for the rest: which, however, I did not sign to till I got Mr. Coventry (age 34) to go up with me to Sir W. Pen (age 41); and he did promise me before him to bear his share in what should be awarded, and both concluded that Sir W. Batten (age 61) would do no less.

Note 1. Fine for the imprisonment of Field (see February 4th, 1661-62, and October 21st, 1662).

Pepy's Diary. 12 Dec 1666. From the 'Change [Map] to Captain Cocke's (age 49), and there, by agreement, dined, and there was Charles Porter (age 35), Temple, Fenn, Debasty, whose bad English and pleasant discourses was exceeding good entertainment, Matt. Wren (age 37), Major Cooper, and myself, mighty merry and pretty discourse.

Pepy's Diary. 23 Jun 1667. After dinner they all to church, and I by water alone to Woolwich, Kent [Map], and there called on Mr. Bodham: and he and I to see the batterys newly raised; which, indeed, are good works to command the River below the ships that are sunk, but not above them. Here I met with Captain Cocke (age 50) and Matt. Wren (age 38), Fenn, and Charles Porter (age 35), and Temple and his wife. Here I fell in with these, and to Bodham's with them, and there we sat and laughed and drank in his arbour, Wren (age 38) making much and kissing all the day of Temple's wife.

Pepy's Diary. 10 Feb 1668. Thence I to the Temple [Map] to Charles Porter's (age 36) lodgings, where Captain Cocke (age 51) met me, and after long waiting, on Pemberton (age 43)¹, an able lawyer, about the business of our prizes, and left the matter with him to think of against to-morrow, this being a matter that do much trouble my mind, though there be no fault in it that I need fear the owning that I know of.

Note 1. Francis Pemberton (age 43), afterwards knighted, and made Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench in 1679. His career was a most singular one, he having been twice removed from the Bench, and twice imprisoned by the House of Commons. He twice returned to the bar, and after his second return he practised with great success as a serjeant for the next fourteen years till his death, June 10th, 1697. Evelyn says, "He was held to be the most learned of the judges and an honest man" ("Diary", October 4th, 1683).

Pepy's Diary. 30 Mar 1668. After a little talk, I away to White Hall and Westminster, where I find the Parliament still bogling about the raising of this money: and every body's mouth full now; and Mr. Wren (age 39) himself tells me that the Duke of York (age 34) declares to go to sea himself this year; and I perceive it is only on this occasion of distaste of the Parliament against W. Pen's (age 46) going, and to prevent the D. Gawden's: but I think it is mighty hot counsel for the Duke of York (age 34) at this time to go out of the way; but, Lord! what a pass are all our matters come to! At noon by appointment to Cursitor's Alley, in Chancery Lane, to meet Captain Cocke (age 51) and some other creditors of the Navy, and their Counsel, Pemberton (age 43), North, Offly, and Charles Porter (age 36); and there dined, and talked of the business of the assignments on the Exchequer of the £1,250,000 on behalf of our creditors; and there I do perceive that the Counsel had heard of my performance in the Parliamenthouse lately, and did value me and what I said accordingly. At dinner we had a great deal of good discourse about Parliament: their number being uncertain, and always at the will of the King (age 37) to encrease, as he saw reason to erect a new borough. But all concluded that the bane of the Parliament hath been the leaving off the old custom of the places allowing wages to those that served them in Parliament, by which they chose men that understood their business and would attend it, and they could expect an account from, which now they cannot; and so the Parliament is become a company of men unable to give account for the interest of the place they serve for.