Diary, January 1667/68 | Page 9

by the way
to return home, thinking to have spoke with Mrs. Bagwell, who I did

see to-day in our entry, come from Harwich, whom I have not seen
these twelve months, I think, and more, and voudrai avoir hazer alcun
with her, sed she was gone, and so I took coach and away to my wife at
the Duke of York's house, in the pit, and so left her; and to Mrs. Pierce,
and took her and her cozen Corbet, Knepp and little James, and brought
them to the Duke's house; and, the house being full, was forced to carry
them to a box, which did cost me 20s., besides oranges, which troubled
me, though their company did please me. Thence, after the play, stayed
till Harris was undressed, there being acted "The Tempest," and so he
withall, all by coach, home, where we find my house with good fires
and candles ready, and our Office the like, and the two Mercers, and
Betty Turner, Pendleton, and W. Batelier. And so with much pleasure
we into the house, and there fell to dancing, having extraordinary
Musick, two viollins, and a base viollin, and theorbo, four hands, the
Duke of Buckingham's musique, the best in towne, sent me by Greeting,
and there we set in to dancing. By and by to my house, to a very good
supper, and mighty merry, and good musick playing; and after supper
to dancing and singing till about twelve at night; and then we had a
good sack posset for them, and an excellent cake, cost me near 20s., of
our Jane's making, which was cut into twenty pieces, there being by
this time so many of our company, by the coming in of young Goodyer
and some others of our neighbours, young men that could dance,
hearing of our dancing; and anon comes in Mrs. Turner, the mother,
and brings with her Mrs. Hollworthy, which pleased me mightily. And
so to dancing again, and singing, with extraordinary great pleasure, till
about two in the morning, and then broke up; and Mrs. Pierce and her
family, and Harris and Knepp by coach home, as late as it was. And
they gone, I took Mrs. Turner and Hollworthy home to my house, and
there gave wine and sweetmeats; but I find Mrs. Hollworthy but a mean
woman, I think, for understanding, only a little conceited, and proud,
and talking, but nothing extraordinary in person, or discourse, or
understanding. However, I was mightily pleased with her being there, I
having long longed for to know her, and they being gone, I paid the
fiddlers L3 among the four, and so away to bed, weary and mightily
pleased, and have the happiness to reflect upon it as I do sometimes on
other things, as going to a play or the like, to be the greatest real
comfort that I am to expect in the world, and that it is that that we do

really labour in the hopes of; and so I do really enjoy myself, and
understand that if I do not do it now I shall not hereafter, it may be, be
able to pay for it, or have health to take pleasure in it, and so fill myself
with vain expectation of pleasure and go without it.

7th. Up, weary, about 9 o'clock, and then out by coach to White Hall to
attend the Lords of the Treasury about Tangier with Sir Stephen Fox,
and having done with them I away back again home by coach time
enough to dispatch some business, and after dinner with Sir W. Pen's
coach (he being gone before with Sir D. Gawden) to White Hall to wait
on the Duke of York, but I finding him not there, nor the Duke of York
within, I away by coach to the Nursery, where I never was yet, and
there to meet my wife and Mercer and Willet as they promised; but the
house did not act to-day; and so I was at a loss for them, and therefore
to the other two playhouses into the pit, to gaze up and down, to look
for them, and there did by this means, for nothing, see an act in "The
Schoole of Compliments" at the Duke of York's house, and "Henry the
Fourth" at the King's house; but, not finding them, nor liking either of
the plays, I took my coach again, and home, and there to my office to
do business, and by and by they come home, and had been at the King's
House, and saw me, but I could [not] see them, and there I walked with
them in the garden awhile, and to sing with Mercer there a little, and so
home with her, and taught her a