Diary, 1662 N.S. Complete | Page 7

home," and so claps on his hat. And the old Duke
(having by custom sent his goods home before), walks away, it may be
but with one man at his heels; and the new one brought immediately in
his room, in the greatest state in the world. Another account was told us,
how in the Dukedom of Ragusa, in the Adriatique (a State that is little,
but more ancient, they say, than Venice, and is called the mother of
Venice, and the Turks lie round about it), that they change all the
officers of their guard, for fear of conspiracy, every twenty-four hours,
so that nobody knows who shall be captain of the guard to-night; but
two men come to a man, and lay hold of him as a prisoner, and carry
him to the place; and there he hath the keys of the garrison given him,
and he presently issues his orders for that night's watch: and so always
from night to night. Sir Win. Rider told the first of his own knowledge;
and both he and Sir W. Batten confirm the last. Hence home and to
read, and so to bed, but very late again.

12th (Lord's day). To church, where a stranger made a very good
sermon. At noon Sir W. Pen and my good friend Dean Fuller, by
appointment, and my wife's brother by chance, dined with me very
merry and handsomely. After dinner the Dean, my wife and I by Sir W.
Pen's coach left us, he to Whitehall, and my wife and I to visit Mrs.
Pierce and thence Mrs. Turner, who continues very ill still, and The. is
also fallen sick, which do trouble me for the poor mother. So home and
to read, I being troubled to hear my wife rate though not without cause
at her mayd Nell, who is a lazy slut. So to prayers and to bed.

13th. All the morning at home, and Mr. Berkenshaw (whom I have not
seen a great while, came to see me), who staid with me a great while
talking of musique, and I am resolved to begin to learn of him to

compose, and to begin to-morrow, he giving of me so great hopes that I
shall soon do it. Before twelve o'clock comes, by appointment, Mr.
Peter and the Dean, and Collonel Noniwood, brothers, to dine with me;
but so soon that I was troubled at it. But, however, I entertained them
with talk and oysters till one o'clock, and then we sat down to dinner,
not staying for my uncle and aunt Wight, at which I was troubled, but
they came by and by, and so we dined very merry, at least I seemed so,
but the dinner does not please me, and less the Dean and Collonel,
whom I found to be pitiful sorry gentlemen, though good-natured, but
Mr. Peter above them both, who after dinner did show us the
experiment (which I had heard talk of) of the chymicall glasses, which
break all to dust by breaking off a little small end; which is a great
mystery to me. They being gone, my aunt Wight and my wife and I to
cards, she teaching of us how to play at gleeke, which is a pretty game;
but I have not my head so free as to be troubled with it. By and by
comes my uncle Wight back, and so to supper and talk, and then again
to cards, when my wife and I beat them two games and they us one, and
so good night and to bed.

14th. All the morning at home, Mr. Berkenshaw by appointment
yesterday coming to me, and begun composition of musique, and he
being gone I to settle my papers and things in my chamber, and so after
dinner in the afternoon to the office, and thence to my chamber about
several businesses of the office and my own, and then to supper and to
bed. This day my brave vellum covers to keep pictures in, come in,
which pleases me very much.

15th. This morning Mr. Berkenshaw came again, and after he had
examined me and taught me something in my work, he and I went to
breakfast in my chamber upon a collar of brawn, and after we had eaten,
asked me whether we had not committed a fault in eating to-day; telling
me that it is a fast day ordered by the Parliament, to pray for more
seasonable weather; it having hitherto been summer weather, that it is,
both as to warmth and every other thing, just as if it were the middle of
May or June, which do threaten a plague (as all men think) to follow,
for so it was almost the last