Diary, August 1667 | Page 9

at day shutting in,
and so as soon as home eat a little and then to bed, with exceeding great
content at our day's work.

12th. My wife waked betimes to call up her maids to washing, and so to
bed again, whom I then hugged, it being cold now in the mornings . . . .
Up by and by, and with Mr. Gawden by coach to St. James's, where we
find the Duke gone a-hunting with the King, but found Sir W. Coventry
within, with whom we discoursed, and he did largely discourse with us
about our speedy falling upon considering of retrenchments in the
expense of the Navy, which I will put forward as much as I can. So
having done there I to Westminster Hall to Burges, and then walked to
the New Exchange, and there to my bookseller's, and did buy Scott's
Discourse of Witches; and do hear Mr. Cowley mightily lamented his
death, by Dr. Ward, the Bishop of Winchester, and Dr. Bates, who were
standing there, as the best poet of our nation, and as good a man.
Thence I to the printseller's, over against the Exchange towards Covent
Garden, and there bought a few more prints of cittys, and so home with
them, and my wife and maids being gone over the water to the
whitster's
[A bleacher of linen. "The whitsters of Datchet Mead" are referred to
by Mrs. Ford ("Merry Wives of Windsor," act iii., sc. 3).]
with their clothes, this being the first time of her trying this way of
washing her linen, I dined at Sir W. Batten's, and after dinner, all alone
to the King's playhouse, and there did happen to sit just before Mrs.

Pierce, and Mrs. Knepp, who pulled me by the hair; and so I addressed
myself to them, and talked to them all the intervals of the play, and did
give them fruit. The play is "Brenoralt," which I do find but little in, for
my part. Here was many fine ladies-among others, the German Baron,
with his lady, who is envoye from the Emperour, and their fine
daughter, which hath travelled all Europe over with them, it seems; and
is accordingly accomplished, and indeed, is a wonderful pretty woman.
Here Sir Philip Frowde, who sat next to me, did tell me how Sir H.
Belasses is dead, and that the quarrel between him and Tom Porter,
who is fled, did arise in the ridiculous fashion that I was first told it,
which is a strange thing between two so good friends. The play being
done, I took the women, and Mrs. Corbett, who was with them, by
coach, it raining, to Mrs. Manuel's, the Jew's wife, formerly a player,
who we heard sing with one of the Italians that was there; and, indeed,
she sings mightily well; and just after the Italian manner, but yet do not
please me like one of Mrs. Knepp's songs, to a good English tune, the
manner of their ayre not pleasing me so well as the fashion of our own,
nor so natural. Here I sat a little and then left them, and then by coach
home, and my wife not come home, so the office a little and then home,
and my wife come; and so, saying nothing where I had been, we to
supper and pipe, and so to bed.

13th. Up, and to the office, where we sat busy all the morning. At noon
home to dinner all alone, my wife being again at the whitster's. After
dinner with Sir W. Pen to St. James's, where the rest come and attended
the Duke of York, with our usual business; who, upon occasion, told us
that he did expect this night or to-morrow to hear from Breda of the
consummation of the peace. Thence Sir W. Pen and I to the King's
house, and there saw "The Committee," which I went to with some
prejudice, not liking it before, but I do now find it a very good play,
and a great deal of good invention in it; but Lacy's part is so well
performed that it would set off anything. The play being done, we with
great pleasure home, and there I to the office to finish my letters, and
then home to my chamber to sing and pipe till my wife comes home
from her washing, which was nine at night, and a dark and rainy night,
that I was troubled at her staying out so long. But she come well home,
and so to supper and to bed.

14th. Up, and to the office, where we held a meeting extraordinary
upon some particular business, and there sat all the morning. At noon,
my wife being gone to the whitster's again to