Diary, Sep/Oct 1661 | Page 7

now to look after my
business, but it always was, and I fear will ever be, my foible that after
I am once got behind-hand with business, I am hard to set to it again to
recover it. In the evening I begun to look over my accounts and upon
the whole I do find myself, by what I can yet see, worth near L600, for
which God be blessed, which put me into great comfort. So to supper
and to bed.

9th. To the Privy Seal in the morning, but my Lord did not come, so I
went with Captain Morrice at his desire into the King's Privy Kitchen to
Mr. Sayres, the Master Cook, and there we had a good slice of beef or
two to our breakfast, and from thence he took us into the wine cellar
where, by my troth, we were very merry, and I drank too much wine,
and all along had great and particular kindness from Mr. Sayres, but I
drank so much wine that I was not fit for business, and therefore at
noon I went and walked in Westminster Hall a while, and thence to
Salisbury Court play house, where was acted the first time "'Tis pity
Shee's a Whore," a simple play and ill acted, only it was my fortune to
sit by a most pretty and most ingenious lady, which pleased me much.
Thence home, and found Sir Williams both and much more company
gone to the Dolphin to drink the 30s. that we got the other day of Sir W.
Pen about his tankard. Here was Sir R. Slingsby, Holmes, Captn. Allen,
Mr. Turner, his wife and daughter, my Lady Batten, and Mrs. Martha,
&c., and an excellent company of fiddlers; so we exceeding merry till
late; and then we begun to tell Sir W. Pen the business, but he had been
drinking to-day, and so is almost gone, that we could not make him
understand it, which caused us more sport. But so much the better, for I
believe when he do come to understand it he will be angry, he has so
talked of the business himself and the letter up and down that he will be
ashamed to be found abused in it. So home and to bed.

10th. At the office all the morn, dined at home; then my wife into
Wood Street to buy a chest, and thence to buy other things at my uncle
Fenner's (though by reason of rain we had ill walking), thence to my
brother Tom's, and there discoursed with him about business, and so to
the Wardrobe to see my Lady, and after supper with the young ladies,
bought a link and carried it myself till I met one that would light me
home for the link. So he light me home with his own, and then I did
give him mine. This night I found Mary, my cozen W. Joyce's maid,
come to me to be my cook maid, and so my house is full again. So to
bed.

11th. Early to my cozen Thomas Trice to discourse about our affairs,
and he did make demand of the L200 and the interest thereof. But for
the L200 I did agree to pay him, but for the other I did desire to be
advised. So from him to Dr. Williams, who did carry me into his
garden, where he hath abundance of grapes; and did show me how a
dog that he hath do kill all the cats that come thither to kill his pigeons,
and do afterwards bury them; and do it with so much care that they
shall be quite covered; that if but the tip of the tail hangs out he will
take up the cat again, and dig the hole deeper. Which is very strange;
and he tells me that he do believe that he hath killed above 100 cats.
After he was ready we went up and down to inquire about my affairs
and then parted, and to the Wardrobe, and there took Mr. Moore to
Tom Trice, who promised to let Mr. Moore have copies of the bond
and my aunt's deed of gift, and so I took him home to my house to
dinner, where I found my wife's brother, Balty, as fine as hands could
make him, and his servant, a Frenchman, to wait on him, and come to
have my wife to visit a young lady which he is a servant to, and have
hope to trepan and get for his wife. I did give way for my wife to go
with him, and so after dinner they went, and Mr. Moore and I out again,
he about his business and I to Dr. Williams: to talk with