Diary, 1663 N.S. Complete | Page 5

Pen
it seems is fallen very ill again. So to my arithmetique again to-night,
and so home to supper and to bed.
4th (Lord's day). Up and to church, where a lazy sermon, and so home
to dinner to a good piece of powdered beef, but a little too salt. At
dinner my wife did propound my having of my sister Pall at my house
again to be her woman, since one we must have, hoping that in that
quality possibly she may prove better than she did before, which I take
very well of her, and will consider of it, it being a very great trouble to
me that I should have a sister of so ill a nature, that I must be forced to
spend money upon a stranger when it might better be upon her, if she
were good for anything. After dinner I and she walked, though it was

dirty, to White Hall (in the way calling at the Wardrobe to see how Mr.
Moore do, who is pretty well, but not cured yet), being much afeard of
being seen by anybody, and was, I think, of Mr. Coventry, which so
troubled me that I made her go before, and I ever after loitered behind.
She to Mr. Hunt's, and I to White Hall Chappell, and then up to walk up
and down the house, which now I am well known there, I shall forbear
to do, because I would not be thought a lazy body by Mr. Coventry and
others by being seen, as I have lately been, to walk up and down doing
nothing. So to Mr. Hunt's, and there was most prettily and kindly
entertained by him and her, who are two as good people as I hardly
know any, and so neat and kind one to another. Here we staid late, and
so to my Lord's to bed.
5th. Up and to the Duke, who himself told me that Sir J. Lawson was
come home to Portsmouth from the Streights, who is now come with
great renown among all men, and, I perceive, mightily esteemed at
Court by all. The Duke did not stay long in his chamber; but to the
King's chamber, whither by and by the Russia Embassadors come; who,
it seems, have a custom that they will not come to have any treaty with
our or any King's Commissioners, but they will themselves see at the
time the face of the King himself, be it forty days one after another; and
so they did to-day only go in and see the King; and so out again to the
Council-chamber. The Duke returned to his chamber, and so to his
closett, where Sir G. Carteret, Sir J. Minnes, Sir W. Batten, Mr.
Coventry, and myself attended him about the business of the Navy; and
after much discourse and pleasant talk he went away. And I took Sir W.
Batten and Captain Allen into the wine cellar to my tenant (as I call
him, Serjeant Dalton), and there drank a great deal of variety of wines,
more than I have drunk at one time, or shall again a great while, when I
come to return to my oaths, which I intend in a day or two. Thence to
my Lord's lodging, where Mr. Hunt and Mr. Creed dined with us, and
were very merry. And after dinner he and I to White Hall, where the
Duke and the Commissioners for Tangier met, but did not do much: my
Lord Sandwich not being in town, nobody making it their business. So
up, and Creed and I to my wife again, and after a game or two at cards,
to the Cockpitt, where we saw "Claracilla," a poor play, done by the
King's house (but neither the King nor Queen were there, but only the
Duke and Duchess, who did show some impertinent and, methought,

unnatural dalliances there, before the whole world, such as kissing, and
leaning upon one another); but to my very little content, they not acting
in any degree like the Duke's people. So home (there being here this
night Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Martha Batten of our office) to my Lord's
lodgings again, and to a game at cards, we three and Sarah, and so to
supper and some apples and ale, and to bed with great pleasure, blessed
be God!
6th (Twelfth Day). Up and Mr. Creed brought a pot of chocolate ready
made for our morning draft, and then he and I to the Duke's, but I was
not very willing to be seen at this end of the town, and so returned to
our lodgings, and took my wife by coach to my brother's, where I set
her down, and Creed and I to St. Paul's Church-yard, to