Diary, Aug/Sep 1666 | Page 8

too much refined; but his discourse in general of sound was
mighty fine. There I left them, and myself by coach to St. James's,
where we attended with the rest of my fellows on the Duke, whom I
found with two or three patches upon his nose and about his right eye,
which come from his being struck with the bough of a tree the other
day in his hunting; and it is a wonder it did not strike out his eye. After
we had done our business with him, which is now but little, the want of
money being such as leaves us little to do but to answer complaints of

the want thereof, and nothing to offer to the Duke, the representing of
our want of money being now become uselesse, I into the Park, and
there I met with Mrs. Burroughs by appointment, and did agree (after
discoursing of some business of her's) for her to meet me at New
Exchange, while I by coach to my Lord Treasurer's, and then called at
the New Exchange, and thence carried her by water to Parliament
stayres, and I to the Exchequer about my Tangier quarter tallys, and
that done I took coach and to the west door of the Abby, where she
come to me, and I with her by coach to Lissen-greene where we were
last, and staid an hour or two before dinner could be got for us, I in the
meantime having much pleasure with her, but all honest. And by and
by dinner come up, and then to my sport again, but still honest; and
then took coach and up and down in the country toward Acton, and
then toward Chelsy, and so to Westminster, and there set her down
where I took her up, with mighty pleasure in her company, and so I by
coach home, and thence to Bow, with all the haste I could, to my Lady
Pooly's, where my wife was with Mr. Batelier and his sisters, and there
I found a noble supper, and every thing exceeding pleasant, and their
mother, Mrs: Batelier, a fine woman, but mighty passionate upon
sudden news brought her of the loss of a dog borrowed of the Duke of
Albemarle's son to line a bitch of hers that is very pretty, but the dog
was by and by found, and so all well again, their company mighty
innocent and pleasant, we having never been here before. About ten
o'clock we rose from table, and sang a song, and so home in two
coaches (Mr. Batelier and his sister Mary and my wife and I in one, and
Mercer alone in the other); and after being examined at Allgate,
whether we were husbands and wives, home, and being there come,
and sent away Mr. Batelierand his sister, I find Reeves there, it being a
mighty fine bright night, and so upon my leads, though very sleepy, till
one in the morning, looking on the moon and Jupiter, with this
twelve-foote glasse and another of six foote, that he hath brought with
him to-night, and the sights mighty pleasant, and one of the glasses I
will buy, it being very usefull. So to bed mighty sleepy, but with much
pleasure. Reeves lying at my house again; and mighty proud I am (and
ought to be thankfull to God Almighty) that I am able to have a spare
bed for my friends.

9th. Up and to the office to prepare business for the Board, Reeves
being gone and I having lent him upon one of the glasses. Here we sat,
but to little purpose, nobody coming at us but to ask for money, not to
offer us any goods. At noon home to dinner, and then to the office
again, being mightily pleased with a Virgin's head that my wife is now
doing of. In the evening to Lumbard-streete about money, to enable me
to pay Sir G. Carteret's L3000, which he hath lodged in my hands, in
behalf of his son and my Lady Jemimah, toward their portion, which, I
thank God, I am able to do at a minute's warning. In my [way] I
inquired, and find Mrs. Rawlinson is dead of the sickness, and her
mayde continues mighty ill. He himself is got out of the house. I met
also with Mr. Evelyn in the streete, who tells me the sad condition at
this very day at Deptford for the plague, and more at Deale (within his
precinct as one of the Commissioners for sick and wounded seamen),
that the towne is almost quite depopulated. Thence back home again,
and after some business at my office, late, home to supper and to bed, I
being sleepy by my late want of rest, notwithstanding my endeavouring