Diary, December 1666 | Page 6

presently to my office, and there late and then
home to even my Journall and accounts, and then to supper much eased
in mind, and last night's good news, which is more and more confirmed
with particulars to very good purpose, and so to bed.

5th. Up, and by water to White Hall, where we did much business
before the Duke of York, which being done, I away home by water
again, and there to my office till noon busy. At noon home, and
Goodgroome dined with us, who teaches my wife to sing. After dinner
I did give him my song, "Beauty retire," which he has often desired of
me, and without flattery I think is a very good song. He gone, I to the
office, and there late, very busy doing much business, and then home to
supper and talk, and then scold with my wife for not reckoning well the
times that her musique master hath been with her, but setting down
more than I am sure, and did convince her, they had been with her, and
in an ill humour of anger with her to bed.

6th. Up, but very good friends with her before I rose, and so to the
office, where we sat all the forenoon, and then home to dinner, where
Harman dined with us, and great sport to hear him tell how Will Joyce
grows rich by the custom of the City coming to his end of the towne,

and how he rants over his brother and sister for their keeping an Inne,
and goes thither and tears like a prince, calling him hosteller and his
sister hostess. Then after dinner, my wife and brother, in another habit;
go out to see a play; but I am not to take notice that I know of my
brother's going. So I to the office, where very busy till late at night, and
then home. My wife not pleased with the play, but thinks that it is
because she is grown more critical than she used to be, but my brother
she says is mighty taken with it. So to supper and to bed. This day, in
the Gazette, is the whole story of defeating the Scotch rebells, and of
the creation of the Duke of Cambridge, Knight of the Garter.

7th. Up, and by water to the Exchequer, where I got my tallys finished
for the last quarter for Tangier, and having paid all my fees I to the
Swan, whither I sent for some oysters, and thither comes Mr.
Falconbridge and Spicer and many more clerks; and there we eat and
drank, and a great deal of their sorry discourse, and so parted, and I by
coach home, meeting Balty in the streete about Charing Crosse walking,
which I am glad to see and spoke to him about his mustering business, I
being now to give an account how the several muster-masters have
behaved themselves, and so home to dinner, where finding the cloth
laid and much crumpled but clean, I grew angry and flung the trenchers
about the room, and in a mighty heat I was: so a clean cloth was laid,
and my poor wife very patient, and so to dinner, and in comes Mrs.
Barbara Sheldon, now Mrs. Wood, and dined with us, she mighty fine,
and lives, I perceive, mighty happily, which I am glad [of] for her sake,
but hate her husband for a block-head in his choice. So away after
dinner, leaving my wife and her, and by water to the Strand, and so to
the King's playhouse, where two acts were almost done when I come in;
and there I sat with my cloak about my face, and saw the remainder of
"The Mayd's Tragedy;" a good play, and well acted, especially by the
younger Marshall, who is become a pretty good actor, and is the first
play I have seen in either of the houses since before the great plague,
they having acted now about fourteen days publickly. But I was in
mighty pain lest I should be seen by any body to be at a play. Soon as
done I home, and then to my office awhile, and then home and spent
the night evening my Tangier accounts, much to my satisfaction, and
then to supper, and mighty good friends with my poor wife, and so to

bed.

8th. Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and at noon
home to dinner, and there find Mr. Pierce and his wife and Betty, a
pretty girle, who in discourse at table told me the great Proviso passed
the House of Parliament yesterday; which makes the King and Court
mad, the King having given order to my Lord Chamberlain