Diary, August 1667 | Page 8

is referred to be examined again.

10th. Up, and to the Office, and there finished the letter about Carcasse,
and sent it away, I think well writ, though it troubles me we should be
put to trouble by this rogue so much. At the office all the morning, and
at noon home to dinner, where I sang and piped with my wife with
great pleasure, and did hire a coach to carry us to Barnett to-morrow.
After dinner I to the office, and there wrote as long as my eyes would
give me leave, and then abroad and to the New Exchange, to the
bookseller's there, where I hear of several new books coming out-- Mr.
Spratt's History of the Royal Society, and Mrs. Phillips's' poems. Sir
John Denham's poems are going to be all printed together; and, among
others, some new things; and among them he showed me a copy of
verses of his upon Sir John Minnes's going heretofore to Bullogne to
eat a pig.

[The collected edition of Denham's poems is dated 1668. The verses
referred to are inscribed "To Sir John Mennis being invited from Calice
to Bologne to eat a pig," and two of the lines run
"Little Admiral John To Bologne is gone."]
Cowley, he tells me, is dead; who, it seems, was a mighty civil, serious
man; which I did not know before. Several good plays are likely to be
abroad soon, as Mustapha and Henry the 5th. Here having staid and
divertised myself a good while, I home again and to finish my letters by
the post, and so home, and betimes to bed with my wife because of
rising betimes to-morrow.

11th (Lord's day). Up by four o'clock, and ready with Mrs. Turner to
take coach before five; which we did, and set on our journey, and got to
the Wells at Barnett by seven o'clock, and there found many people
a-drinking; but the morning is a very cold morning, so as we were very
cold all the way in the coach. Here we met Joseph Batelier, and I talked
with him, and here was W. Hewer also, and his uncle Steventon: so,
after drinking three glasses and the women nothing, we back by coach
to Barnett, where to the Red Lyon, where we 'light, and went up into
the great Room, and there drank, and eat some of the best cheese-cakes
that ever I eat in my life, and so took coach again, and W. Hewer on
horseback with us, and so to Hatfield, to the inn, next my Lord
Salisbury's house, and there rested ourselves, and drank, and bespoke
dinner; and so to church, it being just church-time, and there we find
my Lord and my Lady Sands and several fine ladies of the family, and
a great many handsome faces and genteel persons more in the church,
and did hear a most excellent good sermon, which pleased me mightily,
and very devout; it being upon, the signs of saving grace, where it is in
a man, and one sign, which held him all this day, was, that where that
grace was, there is also the grace of prayer, which he did handle very
finely. In this church lies the former Lord of Salisbury, Cecil, buried in
a noble tomb. So the church being done, we to our inn, and there dined
very well, and mighty merry; and as soon as we had dined we walked
out into the Park through the fine walk of trees, and to the Vineyard,
and there shewed them that, which is in good order, and indeed a place
of great delight; which, together with our fine walk through the Park,
was of as much pleasure as could be desired in the world for country

pleasure and good ayre. Being come back, and weary with the walk, for
as I made it, it was pretty long, being come back to our inne, there the
women had pleasure in putting on some straw hats, which are much
worn in this country, and did become them mightily, but especially my
wife. So, after resting awhile, we took coach again, and back to Barnett,
where W. Hewer took us into his lodging, which is very handsome, and
there did treat us very highly with cheesecakes, cream, tarts, and other
good things; and then walked into the garden, which was pretty, and
there filled my pockets full of filberts, and so with much pleasure.
Among other things, I met in this house with a printed book of the Life
of O. Cromwell, to his honour as a soldier and politician, though as a
rebell, the first of that kind that ever I saw, and it is well done. Took
coach again, and got home with great content, just