Diary, 1667 N.S. Complete | Page 5

but a
mean dinner, and in a mean manner. In the evening a little to the office,
and then to them, where I found them at cards, myself very ill with a
cold (the frost continuing hard), so eat but little at supper, but very
merry, and late home to bed, not much pleased with the manner of our
entertainment, though to myself more civil than to any. This day, I hear,
hath been a conference between the two Houses about the Bill for
examining Accounts, wherein the House of Lords their proceedings in
petitioning the King for doing it by Commission is, in great heat, voted
by the Commons, after the conference, unparliamentary. The issue
whereof, God knows.

4th. Up, and seeing things put in order for a dinner at my house to-day,
I to the office awhile, and about noon home, and there saw all things in
good order. Anon comes our company; my Lord Bruncker, Sir W. Pen,
his lady, and Pegg, and her servant, Mr. Lowther, my Lady Batten (Sir
W. Batten being forced to dine at Sir K. Ford's, being invited), Mr.
Turner and his wife. Here I had good room for ten, and no more would
my table have held well, had Sir J. Minnes, who was fallen lame, and
his sister, and niece, and Sir W. Batten come, which was a great content
to me to be without them. I did make them all gaze to see themselves
served so nobly in plate, and a neat dinner, indeed, though but of seven
dishes. Mighty merry I was and made them all, and they mightily
pleased. My Lord Bruncker went away after dinner to the ticket-office,
the rest staid, only my Lady Batten home, her ague-fit coming on her at
table. The rest merry, and to cards, and then to sing and talk, and at
night to sup, and then to cards; and, last of all, to have a flaggon of ale
and apples, drunk out of a wood cupp,
[A mazer or drinking-bowl turned out of some kind of wood, by
preference of maple, and especially the spotted or speckled variety
called "bird's-eye maple" (see W. H. St. John Hope's paper, "On the
English Mediaeval Drinking-bowls called Mazers," "Archaeologia,"
vol. 50, pp. 129,93).]
as a Christmas draught, made all merry; and they full of admiration at
my plate, particularly my flaggons (which, indeed, are noble), and so
late home, all with great mirth and satisfaction to them, as I thought,
and to myself to see all I have and do so much outdo for neatness and
plenty anything done by any of them. They gone, I to bed, much
pleased, and do observe Mr. Lowther to be a pretty gentleman, and, I
think, too good for Peg; and, by the way, Peg Pen seems mightily to be
kind to me, and I believe by her father's advice, who is also himself so;
but I believe not a little troubled to see my plenty, and was much
troubled to hear the song I sung, "The New Droll"--it touching him
home. So to bed.

5th. At the office all the morning, thinking at noon to have been taken
home, and my wife (according to appointment yesterday), by my Lord
Bruncker, to dinner and then to a play, but he had forgot it, at which I
was glad, being glad of avoyding the occasion of inviting him again,

and being forced to invite his doxy, Mrs. Williams. So home, and took
a small snap of victuals, and away, with my wife, to the Duke's house,
and there saw "Mustapha," a most excellent play for words and design
as ever I did see. I had seen it before but forgot it, so it was wholly new
to me, which is the pleasure of my not committing these things to my
memory. Home, and a little to the office, and then to bed, where I lay
with much pain in my head most of the night, and very unquiet, partly
by my drinking before I went out too great a draught of sack, and partly
my eyes being still very sore.

6th (Lord's day). Up pretty well in the morning, and then to church,
where a dull doctor, a stranger, made a dull sermon. Then home, and
Betty Michell and her husband come by invitation to dine with us, and,
she I find the same as ever (which I was afraid of the contrary) . . . Here
come also Mr. Howe to dine with me, and we had a good dinner and
good merry discourse with much pleasure, I enjoying myself mightily
to have friends at my table. After dinner young Michell and I, it being
an excellent frosty day to walk, did walk out, he showing