Diary, Mar/Apr 1664/65 | Page 7

wife in her new lace whiske, which, indeed, is very noble,
and I much pleased with it, and so my Lady also. Here very pleasant
my Lord was at dinner, and after dinner did look over his plate, which
Burston hath brought him to-day, and is the last of the three that he will
have made. After satisfied with that, he abroad, and I after much
discourse with my Lady about Sir G. Carteret's son, of whom she hath
some thoughts for a husband for my Lady Jemimah, we away home by
coach again, and there sang a good while very pleasantly with Mr.
Andrews and Hill. They gone; we to supper, and betimes to bed.

13th. Up betimes, this being the first morning of my promise upon a
forfeite not to lie in bed a quarter of an hour after my first waking.
Abroad to St. James's, and there much business, the King also being
with us a great while. Thence to the 'Change, and thence with Captain
Tayler and Sir W. Warren dined at a house hard by for discourse sake,
and so I home, and there meeting a letter from Mrs. Martin desiring to
speak with me, I (though against my promise of visiting her) did go,
and there found her in her childbed dress desiring my favour to get her
husband a place. I staid not long, but taking Sir W. Warren up at White
Hall home, and among other discourse fell to a business which he says
shall if accomplished bring me L100. He gone, I to supper and to bed.
This day my wife begun to wear light-coloured locks, quite white
almost, which, though it makes her look very pretty, yet not being
natural, vexes me, that I will not have her wear them. This day I saw
my Lord Castlemayne at St. James's, lately come from France.

14th. Up before six, to the office, where busy all the morning. At noon
dined with Sir W. Batten and Sir J. Minnes, at the Tower, with Sir J.
Robinson, at a farewell dinner which he gives Major Holmes at his

going out of the Tower, where he hath for some time, since his coming
from Guinny, been a prisoner, and, it seems, had presented the
Lieutenant with fifty pieces yesterday. Here a great deale of good
victuals and company. Thence home to my office, where very late, and
home to supper and to bed weary of business.

15th. Up and by coach with Sir W. Batten to St. James's, where among
other things before the Duke, Captain Taylor was called in, and, Sir J.
Robinson his accuser not appearing, was acquitted quite from his
charge, and declared that he should go to Harwich, which I was very
well pleased at. Thence I to Mr. Coventry's chamber, and there
privately an houre with him in discourse of the office, and did deliver
to him many notes of things about which he is to get the Duke's
command, before he goes, for the putting of business among us in
better order. He did largely owne his dependance as to the office upon
my care, and received very great expressions of love from him, and so
parted with great satisfaction to myself. So home to the 'Change, and
thence home to dinner, where my wife being gone down upon a sudden
warning from my Lord Sandwich's daughters to the Hope with them to
see "The Prince," I dined alone. After dinner to the office, and anon to
Gresham College, where, among other good discourse, there was tried
the great poyson of Maccassa upon a dogg,
["The experiment of trying to poison a dog with some of the Macassar
powder in which a needle had been dipped was made, but without
success."--(The dog may have been of another opinion. D.W.)--Pepys
himself made a communication at this meeting of the information he
had received from the master of the Jersey ship, who had been in
company of Major Holmes in the Guinea voyage, concerning the
pendulum watches (Birch's "History," vol. ii., p. 23).]
but it had no effect all the time we sat there. We anon broke up and I
home, where late at my office, my wife not coming home. I to bed,
troubled, about 12 or past.

16th. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning, my wife
coming home from the water this morning, having lain with them on
board "The Prince" all night. At noon home to dinner, where my wife
told me the unpleasant journey she had yesterday among the children,
whose fear upon the water and folly made it very unpleasing to her. A
good dinner, and then to the office again. This afternoon Mr. Harris, the
sayle-maker, sent me