Diary, Aug/Sep 1664 | Page 6

much pleased with it, and it being given
me, I look upon it as no breach to my oathe. Here we hear that Clun,
one of their best actors, was, the last night, going out of towne (after he
had acted the Alchymist, wherein was one of his best parts that he acts)
to his country-house, set upon and murdered; one of the rogues taken,
an Irish fellow. It seems most cruelly butchered and bound. The house
will have a great miss of him. Thence visited my Lady Sandwich, who
tells me my Lord FitzHarding is to be made a Marquis. Thence home to
my office late, and so to supper and to bed.

5th. Up very betimes and set my plaisterer to work about whiting and
colouring my musique roome, which having with great pleasure seen
done, about ten o'clock I dressed myself, and so mounted upon a very
pretty mare, sent me by Sir W. Warren, according to his promise
yesterday. And so through the City, not a little proud, God knows, to be
seen upon so pretty a beast, and to my cozen W. Joyce's, who presently
mounted too, and he and I out of towne toward Highgate; in the way, at
Kentish-towne, showing me the place and manner of Clun's being
killed and laid in a ditch, and yet was not killed by any wounds, having
only one in his arm, but bled to death through his struggling. He told
me, also, the manner of it, of his going home so late [from] drinking

with his whore, and manner of having it found out. Thence forward to
Barnett, and there drank, and so by night to Stevenage, it raining a little,
but not much, and there to my great trouble, find that my wife was not
come, nor any Stamford coach gone down this week, so that she cannot
come. So vexed and weary, and not thoroughly out of pain neither in
my old parts, I after supper to bed, and after a little sleep, W. Joyce
comes in his shirt into my chamber, with a note and a messenger from
my wife, that she was come by Yorke coach to Bigglesworth, and
would be with us to-morrow morning. So, mightily pleased at her
discreete action in this business, I with peace to sleep again till next
morning. So up, and

6th. Here lay Deane Honiwood last night. I met and talked with him
this morning, and a simple priest he is, though a good, well-meaning
man. W. Joyce and I to a game at bowles on the green there till eight
o'clock, and then comes my wife in the coach, and a coach full of
women, only one man riding by, gone down last night to meet a sister
of his coming to town. So very joyful drank there, not 'lighting, and we
mounted and away with them to Welling, and there 'light, and dined
very well and merry and glad to see my poor-wife. Here very merry as
being weary I could be, and after dinner, out again, and to London. In
our way all the way the mightiest merry, at a couple of young
gentlemen, come down to meet the same gentlewoman, that ever I was
in my life, and so W. Joyce too, to see how one of them was horsed
upon a hard-trotting sorrell horse, and both of them soundly weary and
galled. But it is not to be set down how merry we were all the way. We
'light in Holborne, and by another coach my wife and mayde home, and
I by horseback, and found all things well and most mighty neate and
clean. So, after welcoming my wife a little, to the office, and so home
to supper, and then weary and not very well to bed.

7th (Lord's day). Lay long caressing my wife and talking, she telling
me sad stories of the ill, improvident, disquiett, and sluttish manner that
my father and mother and Pall live in the country, which troubles me
mightily, and I must seek to remedy it. So up and ready, and my wife
also, and then down and I showed my wife, to her great admiration and
joy, Mr. Gauden's present of plate, the two flaggons, which indeed are

so noble that I hardly can think that they are yet mine. So blessing God
for it, we down to dinner mighty pleasant, and so up after dinner for a
while, and I then to White Hall, walked thither, having at home met
with a letter of Captain Cooke's, with which he had sent a boy for me to
see, whom he did intend to recommend to me. I therefore went and
there met and spoke with him. He gives me great