Diary, December 1664 | Page 9

sermon of the Parson of the parish, and so homeward with them in
their coach, but finding it too late to go home with me, I took another
coach and so home, and after a while at my office, home to supper and
to bed.

17th. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning. At noon I to
the 'Change, and there, among others, had my first meeting with Mr.
L'Estrange, who hath endeavoured several times to speak with me. It is
to get, now and then, some newes of me, which I shall, as I see cause,
give him. He is a man of fine conversation, I think, but I am sure most

courtly and full of compliments. Thence home to dinner, and then come
the looking-glass man to set up the looking-glass I bought yesterday, in
my dining-room, and very handsome it is. So abroad by coach to White
Hall, and there to the Committee of Tangier, and then the Fishing. Mr.
Povy did in discourse give me a rub about my late bill for money that I
did get of him, which vexed me and stuck in my mind all this evening,
though I know very well how to cleare myself at the worst. So home
and to my office, where late, and then home to bed. Mighty talke there
is of this Comet that is seen a'nights; and the King and Queene did sit
up last night to see it, and did, it seems. And to-night I thought to have
done so too; but it is cloudy, and so no stars appear. But I will
endeavour it. Mr. Gray did tell me to-night, for certain, that the Dutch,
as high as they seem, do begin to buckle; and that one man in this
Kingdom did tell the King that he is offered L40,000 to make a peace,
and others have been offered money also. It seems the taking of their
Bourdeaux fleete thus, arose from a printed Gazette of the Dutch's
boasting of fighting, and having beaten the English: in confidence
whereof (it coming to Bourdeaux), all the fleete comes out, and so falls
into our hands.

18th (Lord's day). To church, where, God forgive me! I spent most of
my time in looking [on] my new Morena--[a brunette]-- at the other
side of the church, an acquaintance of Pegg Pen's. So home to dinner,
and then to my chamber to read Ben Johnson's Cataline, a very
excellent piece, and so to church again, and thence we met at the office
to hire ships, being in great haste and having sent for several masters of
ships to come to us. Then home, and there Mr. Andrews and Hill come
and we sung finely, and by and by Mr. Fuller, the Parson, and supped
with me, he and a friend of his, but my musique friends would not stay
supper. At and after supper Mr. Fuller and I told many storys of
apparitions and delusions thereby, and I out with my storys of Tom
Mallard. He gone, I a little to my office, and then to prayers and to bed.

19th. Going to bed betimes last night we waked betimes, and from our
people's being forced to take the key to go out to light a candle, I was
very angry and begun to find fault with my wife for not commanding
her servants as she ought. Thereupon she giving me some cross answer

I did strike her over her left eye such a blow as the poor wretch did cry
out and was in great pain, but yet her spirit was such as to endeavour to
bite and scratch me. But I coying--[stroking or caressing]-- with her
made her leave crying, and sent for butter and parsley, and friends
presently one with another, and I up, vexed at my heart to think what I
had done, for she was forced to lay a poultice or something to her eye
all day, and is black, and the people of the house observed it. But I was
forced to rise, and up and with Sir J. Minnes to White Hall, and there
we waited on the Duke. And among other things Mr. Coventry took
occasion to vindicate himself before the Duke and us, being all there,
about the choosing of Taylor for Harwich. Upon which the Duke did
clear him, and did tell us that he did expect, that, after he had named a
man, none of us shall then oppose or find fault with the man; but if we
had anything to say, we ought to say it before he had chose him. Sir G.
Carteret thought himself concerned, and endeavoured to clear himself:
and by and by Sir W. Batten did speak,