Diary, Jan/Feb 1661/62 | Page 5

to my wife, who met me at my Lord's
lodgings, and she and I and old East to Wilkinson's to dinner, where we
had some rost beef and a mutton pie, and a mince-pie, but none of them
pleased me. After dinner by coach my wife and I home, and I to the
office, and there till late, and then I and my wife to Sir W. Pen's to
cards and supper, and were merry, and much correspondence there has
been between our two families all this Christmas. So home and to bed.

5th (Lord's day). Left my wife in bed not well . . . and I to church, and
so home to dinner, and dined alone upon some marrow bones, and had
a fine piece of rost beef, but being alone I eat none. So after dinner
comes in my brother Tom, and he tells me how he hath seen the father
and mother of the girl which my cozen Joyces would have him to have
for a wife, and they are much for it, but we are in a great quandary what
to do therein, L200 being but a little money; and I hope, if he continues
as he begins, he may look out for one with more. To church, and before
sermon there was a long psalm, and half another sung out while the
Sexton gathered what the church would give him for this last year. I
gave him 3s., and have the last week given the Clerk 2s., which I set
down that I may know what to do the next year, if it please the Lord
that I live so long; but the jest was, the Clerk begins the 25th psalm,
which hath a proper tune to it, and then the 116th, which cannot be
sung with that tune, which seemed very ridiculous. After church to Sir
W. Batten's, where on purpose I have not been this fortnight, and I am
resolved to keep myself more reserved to avoyd the contempt which
otherwise I must fall into, and so home and six and talked and supped
with my wife, and so up to prayers and to bed, having wrote a letter this
night to Sir J. Mennes in the Downs for his opinion in the business of
striking of flags.

6th (Twelfth day). This morning I sent my lute to the Paynter's, and
there I staid with him all the morning to see him paint the neck of my
lute in my picture, which I was not pleased with after it was done.
Thence to dinner to Sir W. Pen's, it being a solemn feast day with him,
his wedding day, and we had, besides a good chine of beef and other
good cheer, eighteen mince pies in a dish, the number of the years that
he hath been married, where Sir W. Batten and his Lady, and daughter
was, and Colonel Treswell and Major Holmes, who I perceive would
fain get to be free and friends with my wife, but I shall prevent it, and
she herself hath also a defyance against him. After dinner they set in to
drinking, so that I would stay no longer, but went away home, and
Captain Cock, who was quite drunk, comes after me, and there sat
awhile and so away, and anon I went again after the company was gone,
and sat and played at cards with Sir W. Pen and his children, and so

after supper home, and there I hear that my man Gull was gone to bed,
and upon enquiry I hear that he did vomit before he went to bed, and
complained his head ached, and thereupon though he was asleep I sent
for him out of his bed, and he rose and came up to me, and I appeared
very angry and did tax him with being drunk, and he told me that he
had been with Mr. Southerne and Homewood at the Dolphin, and drank
a quart of sack, but that his head did ache before he went out. But I do
believe he has drunk too much, and so I did threaten him to bid his
uncle dispose of him some other way, and sent him down to bed and do
resolve to continue to be angry with him. So to bed to my wife, and
told her what had passed.

7th. Long in bed, and then rose and went along with Sir W. Pen on foot
to Stepny to Mrs. Chappell's (who has the pretty boy to her son), and
there met my wife and Sir W. Pen's children all, and Mrs. Poole and her
boy, and there dined and' were very merry, and home again by coach
and so to the office. In the afternoon and