Diary, Sep/Oct 1663 | Page 7

pill. I hear this day that Sir W.
Batten was fain to put ashore at Queenborough with my Lady, who has
been so sick she swears never to go to sea again. But it happens well
that Holmes is come home into the Downes, where he will meet my
Lady, and it may be do her more good than she looked for. He brings
news of the peace between Tangier and the Moors, but the particulars I
know not. He is come but yesterday.

6th (Lord's day). My pill I took last night worked very well, and I lay
long in bed and sweat to get away the itching all about my body from
head to foot, which is beginning again as it did the last winter, and I
find after I am up that it is abated. I staid at home all day and my wife
also, whom, God forgive me, I staid along with me for fear of her
seeing of Pembleton. But she and I entertained one another all day long
with great pleasure, contriving about my wife's closet and the
bedchamber, whither we intend to go up she and I to-day. We dined
alone and supped also at night, my brother John with us, and so to
prayers and to bed.

7th. Up pretty betimes, and awhile to my vyall, and then abroad to
several places, to buy things for the furnishing my house and my wife's
closet, and then met my uncle Thomas, by appointment, and he and I to
the Prerogative Office in Paternoster Row, and there searched and
found my uncle Day's will, end read it over and advised upon it, and his
wife's after him, and though my aunt Perkins testimony is very good,
yet I fear the estate being great, and the rest that are able to inform us in
the matter are all possessed of more or less of the estate:, it will be hard
for us ever to do anything, nor will I adventure anything till I see what
part will be given to us by my uncle Thomas of all that is gained. But I
had another end of putting my uncle into some doubt, that so I might
keep him: yet from going into the country that he may be there against

the Court at his own charge, and so I left him and his son at a loss what
to do till I see them again. And so I to my Lord Crew's,; thinking to
have dined there, but it was too late, and so back and called at my
brother's and Mr. Holden's about several businesses, and went all alone
to the Black Spread Eagle in Bride Lane, and there had a chopp of
veale and some bread, cheese, and beer, cost me a shilling to my dinner,
and so through Fleet Ally, God forgive me, out of an itch to look upon
the sluts there, against which when I saw them my stomach turned, and
so to Bartholomew Fayre, where I met with Mr. Pickering, and he and I
to see the monkeys at the Dutch house, which is far beyond the other
that my wife and I saw the other day; and thence to see the dancing on
the ropes, which was very poor and tedious. But he and I fell in
discourse about my Lord Sandwich. He tells me how he is sorry for my
Lord at his being at Chelsey, and that his but seeming so to my Lord
without speaking one word, had put him clear out of my Lord's favour,
so as that he was fain to leave him before he went into the country, for
that he was put to eat with his servants; but I could not fish from him,
though I knew it, what was the matter; but am very sorry to see that my
Lord hath thus much forgot his honour, but am resolved not to meddle
with it. The play being done, I stole from him and hied home, buying
several things at the ironmonger's--dogs, tongs, and shovels--for my
wife's closett and the rest of my house, and so home, and thence to my
office awhile, and so home to supper and to bed. By my letters from
Tangier today I hear that it grows very strong by land, and the Mole
goes on. They have lately killed two hundred of the Moores, and lost
about forty or fifty. I am mightily afeard of laying out too much money
in goods upon my house, but it is not money flung away, though I
reckon nothing money but when it is in the bank, till I have a good sum
beforehand in the world.

8th. Up and to my viall a while, and