Diary, January 1666/67 | Page 6

in Pudding Lane, where the late great fire begun; and
thence all along Thames Street, where I did view several places, and so
up by London Wall, by Blackfriars, to Ludgate; and thence to
Bridewell, which I find to have been heretofore an extraordinary good
house, and a fine coming to it, before the house by the bridge was built;
and so to look about St. Bride's church and my father's house, and so
walked home, and there supped together, and then Michell and Betty
home, and I to my closet, there to read and agree upon my vows for
next year, and so to bed and slept mighty well.

7th. Lay long in bed. Then up and to the office, where busy all the
morning. At noon (my wife being gone to Westminster) I with my Lord
Bruncker by coach as far as the Temple, in the way he telling me that
my Lady Denham is at last dead. Some suspect her poisoned, but it will
be best known when her body is opened, which will be to-day, she
dying yesterday morning. The Duke of York is troubled for her; but
hath declared he will never have another public mistress again; which I
shall be glad of, and would the King would do the like. He tells me
how the Parliament is grown so jealous of the King's being unfayre to
them in the business of the Bill for examining Accounts, Irish Bill, and
the business of the Papists, that they will not pass the business for

money till they see themselves secure that those Bills will pass; which
they do observe the Court to keep off till all the Bills come together,
that the King may accept what he pleases, and what he pleases to reject,
which will undo all our business and the kingdom too. He tells me how
Mr. Henry Howard, of Norfolke, hath given our Royal Society all his
grandfather's library: which noble gift they value at L1000; and gives
them accommodation to meet in at his house, Arundell House, they
being now disturbed at Gresham College. Thence 'lighting at the
Temple to the ordinary hard by and eat a bit of meat, and then by coach
to fetch my wife from her brother's, and thence to the Duke's house,
and saw "Macbeth," which, though I saw it lately, yet appears a most
excellent play in all respects, but especially in divertisement, though it
be a deep tragedy; which is a strange perfection in a tragedy, it being
most proper here, and suitable. So home, it being the last play now I am
to see till a fortnight hence, I being from the last night entered into my
vowes for the year coming on. Here I met with the good newes of
Hogg's bringing in two prizes more to Plymouth, which if they prove
but any part of them, I hope, at least, we shall be no losers by them. So
home from the office, to write over fair my vowes for this year, and
then to supper, and to bed. In great peace of mind having now done it,
and brought myself into order again and a resolution of keeping it, and
having entered my journall to this night, so to bed, my eyes failing me
with writing.

8th. Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning. At noon home
to dinner, where my uncle Thomas with me to receive his quarterage.
He tells me his son Thomas is set up in Smithfield, where he hath a
shop-- I suppose, a booth. Presently after dinner to the office, and there
set close to my business and did a great deal before night, and am
resolved to stand to it, having been a truant too long. At night to Sir W.
Batten's to consider some things about our prizes, and then to other talk,
and among other things he tells me that he hears for certain that Sir W.
Coventry hath resigned to the King his place of Commissioner of the
Navy, the thing he bath often told me that he had a mind to do, but I am
surprised to think that he hath done it, and am full of thoughts all this
evening after I heard it what may be the consequences of it to me. So
home and to supper, and then saw the catalogue of my books, which

my brother had wrote out, now perfectly alphabeticall, and so to bed.
Sir Richard Ford did this evening at Sir W. Batten's tell us that upon
opening the body of my Lady Denham it is said that they found a vessel
about her matrix which had never been broke by her husband, that
caused all pains in her body. Which