Diary, 1663 N.S. Complete | Page 7

all in good order, it being

very dangerous for the King that so many of his ships lie together there.
I was among the canvass in stores also, with Mr. Harris, the saylemaker,
and learnt the difference between one sort and another, to my great
content, and so by water home again, where my wife tells me stories
how she hears that by Sarah's going to live at Sir W. Pen's, all our
affairs of my family are made known and discoursed of there and theirs
by my people, which do trouble me much, and I shall take a time to let
Sir W. Pen know how he has dealt in taking her without our full
consent. So to my office, and by and by home to supper, and so to
prayers and bed.
8th. Up pretty early, and sent my boy to the carrier's with some wine
for my father, for to make his feast among his Brampton friends this
Christmas, and my muff to my mother, sent as from my wife. But
before I sent my boy out with them, I beat him for a lie he told me, at
which his sister, with whom we have of late been highly displeased,
and warned her to be gone, was angry, which vexed me, to see the girl I
loved so well, and my wife, should at last turn so much a fool and
unthankful to us. So to the office, and there all the morning, and though
without and a little against the advice of the officers did, to gratify him,
send Thomas Hater to-day towards Portsmouth a day or two before the
rest of the clerks, against the Pay next week. Dined at home; and there
being the famous new play acted the first time to-day, which is called
"The Adventures of Five Hours," at the Duke's house, being, they say,
made or translated by Colonel Tuke, I did long to see it; and so made
my wife to get her ready, though we were forced to send for a smith, to
break open her trunk, her mayde Jane being gone forth with the keys,
and so we went; and though early, were forced to sit almost out of sight,
at the end of one of the lower forms, so full was the house. And the
play, in one word, is the best, for the variety and the most excellent
continuance of the plot to the very end, that ever I saw, or think ever
shall, and all possible, not only to be done in the time, but in most other
respects very admittable, and without one word of ribaldry; and the
house, by its frequent plaudits, did show their sufficient approbation.
So home; with much ado in an hour getting a coach home, and, after
writing letters at my office, I went home to supper and to bed, now
resolving to set up my rest as to plays till Easter, if not Whitsuntide
next, excepting plays at Court.

9th. Waking in the morning, my wife I found also awake, and begun to
speak to me with great trouble and tears, and by degrees from one
discourse to another at last it appears that Sarah has told somebody that
has told my wife of my meeting her at my brother's and making her sit
down by me while she told me stories of my wife, about her giving her
scallop to her brother, and other things, which I am much vexed at, for I
am sure I never spoke any thing of it, nor could any body tell her but by
Sarah's own words. I endeavoured to excuse my silence herein hitherto
by not believing any thing she told me, only that of the scallop which
she herself told me of. At last we pretty good friends, and my wife
begun to speak again of the necessity of her keeping somebody to bear
her company; for her familiarity with her other servants is it that spoils
them all, and other company she hath none, which is too true, and
called for Jane to reach her out of her trunk, giving her the keys to that
purpose, a bundle of papers, and pulls out a paper, a copy of what, a
pretty while since, she had wrote in a discontent to me, which I would
not read, but burnt. She now read it, and it was so piquant, and wrote in
English, and most of it true, of the retiredness of her life, and how
unpleasant it was; that being wrote in English, and so in danger of
being met with and read by others, I was vexed at it, and desired her
and then commanded her to tear it. When she desired to be excused it, I
forced it