Diary, Mar/Apr 1665/66 | Page 8

and to the office, where busy sitting all the morning,
and I begin to find a little convenience by holding up my head to Sir W.
Pen, for he is come to be more supple. At noon to dinner, and then to

the office again, where mighty business, doing a great deale till
midnight and then home to supper and to bed. The plague encreased
this week 29 from 28, though the total fallen from 238 to 207, which do
never a whit please me.

14th. Up, and met by 6 o'clock in my chamber Mr. Povy (from White
Hall) about evening reckonings between him and me, on our Tangier
business, and at it hard till toward eight o'clock, and he then carried me
in his chariot to White Hall, where by and by my fellow officers met
me, and we had a meeting before the Duke. Thence with my Lord
Bruncker towards London, and in our way called in Covent Garden,
and took in Sir John (formerly Dr.) Baber; who hath this humour that
he will not enter into discourse while any stranger is in company, till he
be told who he is that seems a stranger to him. This he did declare
openly to me, and asked my Lord who I was, giving this reason, that he
has been inconvenienced by being too free in discourse till he knew
who all the company were. Thence to Guildhall (in our way taking in
Dr. Wilkins), and there my Lord and I had full and large discourse with
Sir Thomas Player, the Chamberlain of the City (a man I have much
heard of for his credit and punctuality in the City, and on that score I
had a desire to be made known to him), about the credit of our tallys,
which are lodged there for security to such as should lend money
thereon to the use of the Navy. And I had great satisfaction therein: and
the truth is, I find all our matters of credit to be in an ill condition.
Thence, I being in a little haste walked before and to the 'Change a little
and then home, and presently to Trinity house to dinner, where Captain
Cox made his Elder Brother's dinner. But it seemed to me a very poor
sorry dinner. I having many things in my head rose, when my belly was
full, though the dinner not half done, and home and there to do some
business, and by and by out of doors and met Mr. Povy coming to me
by appointment, but it being a little too late, I took a little pride in the
streete not to go back with him, but prayed him to come another time,
and I away to Kate Joyce's, thinking to have spoke to her husband
about Pall's business, but a stranger, the Welsh Dr. Powell, being there
I forebore and went away and so to Hales's, to see my wife's picture,
which I like mighty well, and there had the pleasure to see how
suddenly he draws the Heavens, laying a darke ground and then

lightening it when and where he will. Thence to walk all alone in the
fields behind Grayes Inne, making an end of reading over my dear
"Faber fortunae," of my Lord Bacon's, and thence, it growing dark,
took two or three wanton turns about the idle places and lanes about
Drury Lane, but to no satisfaction, but a great fear of the plague among
them, and so anon I walked by invitation to Mrs. Pierces, where I find
much good company, that is to say, Mrs. Pierce, my wife, Mrs.
Worshipp and her daughter, and Harris the player, and Knipp, and
Mercer, and Mrs. Barbary Sheldon, who is come this day to spend a
weeke with my wife; and here with musique we danced, and sung and
supped, and then to sing and dance till past one in the morning; and
much mirthe with Sir Anthony Apsley and one Colonell Sidney, who
lodge in the house; and above all, they are mightily taken with Mrs.
Knipp. Hence weary and sleepy we broke up, and I and my company
homeward by coach and to bed.

15th. Lay till it was full time to rise, it being eight o'clock, and so to the
office and there sat till almost three o'clock and then to dinner, and after
dinner (my wife and Mercer and Mrs. Barbary being gone to Hales's
before), I and my cozen Anthony Joyce, who come on purpose to
dinner with me, and he and I to discourse of our proposition of
marriage between Pall and Harman, and upon discourse he and I to
Harman's house and took him to a taverne hard by, and we to discourse
of our