Diary, Jun/Jul/Aug 1661 | Page 9

my painters,
and about four in the afternoon my wife and I by water to Captain
Lambert's, where we took great pleasure in their turret-garden, and
seeing the fine needle-works of his wife, the best I ever saw in my life,
and afterwards had a very handsome treat and good musique that she
made upon the harpsicon, and with a great deal of pleasure staid till 8 at

night, and so home again, there being a little pretty witty child that is
kept in their house that would not let us go without her, and so fell a-
crying by the water-side. So home, where I met Jack Cole, who staid
with me a good while, and is still of the old good humour that we were
of at school together, and I am very glad to see him. He gone, I went to
bed.

19th. All the morning almost at home, seeing my stairs finished by the
painters, which pleases me well. So with Mr. Moore to Westminster
Hall, it being term, and then by water to the Wardrobe, where very
merry, and so home to the office all the afternoon, and at night to the
Exchange to my uncle Wight about my intention of purchasing at
Brampton. So back again home and at night to bed. Thanks be to God I
am very well again of my late pain, and to-morrow hope to be out of
my pain of dirt and trouble in my house, of which I am now become
very weary. One thing I must observe here while I think of it, that I am
now become the most negligent man in the world as to matters of news,
insomuch that, now-a-days, I neither can tell any, nor ask any of others.

20th. At home the greatest part of the day to see my workmen make an
end, which this night they did to my great content.

21st. This morning going to my father's I met him, and so he and I went
and drank our morning draft at the Samson in Paul's Churchyard, and
eat some gammon of bacon, &c., and then parted, having bought some
green Say --[A woollen cloth. "Saye clothe serge."--Palsgrave.]-- for
curtains in my parler. Home, and so to the Exchequer, where I met with
my uncle Wight, and home with him to dinner, where among others
(my aunt being out of town), Mr. Norbury and I did discourse of his
wife's house and land at Brampton, which I find too much for me to
buy. Home, and in the afternoon to the office, and much pleased at
night to see my house begin to be clean after all the dirt.

22nd. Abroad all the morning about several businesses. At noon went
and dined with my Lord Crew, where very much made of by him and
his lady. Then to the Theatre, "The Alchymist,"--[Comedy by Ben
Jonson, first printed in 1612.]--which is a most incomparable play. And

that being done I met with little Luellin and Blirton, who took me to a
friend's of theirs in Lincoln's Inn fields, one Mr. Hodges, where we
drank great store of Rhenish wine and were very merry. So I went
home, where I found my house now very clean, which was great
content to me.

23rd (Lord's day). In the morning to church, and my wife not being
well, I went with Sir W. Batten home to dinner, my Lady being out of
town, where there was Sir W. Pen, Captain Allen and his daughter
Rebecca, and Mr. Hempson and his wife. After dinner to church all of
us and had a very good sermon of a stranger, and so I and the young
company to walk first to Graye's Inn Walks, where great store of
gallants, but above all the ladies that I there saw, or ever did see, Mrs.
Frances Butler (Monsieur L'Impertinent's sister) is the greatest beauty.
Then we went to Islington, where at the great house I entertained them
as well as I could, and so home with them, and so to my own home and
to bed. Pall, who went this day to a child's christening of Kate Joyce's,
staid out all night at my father's, she not being well.

24th (Midsummer-day). We kept this a holiday, and so went not to the
office at all. All the morning at home. At noon my father came to see
my house now it is done, which is now very neat. He and I and Dr.
Williams (who is come to see my wife, whose soare belly is now grown
dangerous as she thinks) to the ordinary over against the Exchange,
where we dined and had great wrangling with the master of the house
when the reckoning