use of a tube-spectacall of paper, tried with my right eye. This day I hear that, to the great joy of the Nonconformists, the time is out of the Act against them, so that they may meet: and they have declared that they will have a morning lecture' up again, which is pretty strange; and they are connived at by the King every where, I hear, in the City and country. This afternoon my wife, and Mercer, and Deb., went with Pelling to see the gypsies at Lambeth, and have their fortunes told; but what they did, I did not enquire.

2

12th. Captain Cocke tells me that he hears for certain the Duke of York will lose the authority of an Admiral, and be governed by a Committee: and all our Office changed; only they are in dispute whether I shall continue or no, which puts new thoughts in me, but I know not whether to be glad or sorry. Home to dinner, where Pelling dines with us, and brings some partridges, which are very good meat; and, after dinner, I, and wife, and Mercer, and Deb., to the Duke of York's house, and saw " Macbeth," to our great content, and then home, where the women went to the making of my tubes. Then come Mrs. Turner and her husband to advise about their son, the Chaplain, who is turned out of his ship, a sorrow for them, which I am troubled for, and do give them the best advice I can.

3

13th. W. Howe dined with me, who tells me for certain that Creed is like to speed in his match with Mrs. Betty Pickering. Here dined with me also Mr. Hollier, who is mighty vain in his pretence to talk Latin.

4

14th. At home I find Symson, putting up my new chimneypiece, in our great chamber, which is very fine, but will cost a great deal of money, but it is not flung away. I with Mr. Wren, by invitation, to Sir Stephen Fox's to dinner, where the Cofferer and Sir Edward Savage; where many good

1 The morning lectures at Cripplegate were of great celebrity among the Puritans. Many of them were published, forming six volumes in 4to, closely printed. The form of lecture, it is believed, still exists.

2 Most probably at Norwood, in the parish of Lambeth, a place, much later, famous as the resort of gipsies.

3 The paper tubes for his eyes: see 31st July, ante.

4 See 24th July, ante.

5 William Ashburnham.

6 He was probably of the family of Savage, seated at Frodsham, in Cheshire;

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stories of the antiquity and estates of many families at this day in Cheshire, and that part of the kingdom, more than what is on this side, near London. My Lady [Fox] dining with us; a very good lady, and a family governed so nobly and neatly as do me good to see it. Thence the Cofferer, Sir Stephen, and I to the Commissioners of the Treasury about business and so I up to the Duke of York, who enquired for what I had promised him, about my observations of the miscarriages of our Office; and I told him he should have it next week, being glad he called for it; for I find he is concerned to do something, and to secure himself thereby, I believe for the world is labouring to eclipse him, I doubt; I mean, the factious part of the Parliament. The Office met this afternoon as usual, and waited on him; where, among other things, he talked a great while of his intentions of going to Dover soon, to be sworn as Lord Warden,' which is a matter of great ceremony and state. Spent the evening talking with my wife and piping, and pleased with our chimney-piece.

15th. After dinner with my wife, Mercer, and Deb., to the King's playhouse, and there saw "Love's Mistresse" revived, the thing pretty good, but full of variety of divertisement.

16th. (Lord's day.) All the morning at the Office with W. Hewer, there drawing up my Report to the Duke of York, as I have promised, about the faults of this Office.

17th. To Hampstead, to speak with the Attorney-general,2 whom we met in the fields, by his old route and house; and after a little talk about our business of Ackeworth, went and saw the Lord Wotton's3 house and garden, which is wonder

and had been attached to the Royal cause. According to Kennet, (Chronicle, p. 869,) he married the widow of Sir Richard Smith, one of the King's privycouncil.

1 Of the Cinque Ports.

2 Sir Geoffry Palmer, Bart. He died at his house at Hampstead, 1st May, 1670.

3 Poliander de Kirkhoven, Lord of Hemfleet, in Holland, married Katherine, widow of Henry Lord Stanhope, eldest son of Philip, Earl of Chesterfield, who died vitâ patris. She was one of the four daughters and co-heirs of Thomas Lord Wotton; and her son, Charles Henry Kirkhoven, here mentioned, was created Lord Wotton, of Wotton, in Kent, in 1650, by reason of his descent, and Earl of Bellomont, in Ireland, in 1670. He died without issue in 1682.

4 Belsyze House, in the parish of Hampstead, was for many years the resi

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full fine too good for the house, the gardens are, being, indeed, the most noble that ever I saw, and brave orange and lemon trees. Thence to Mr. Chichly's' by invitation, and there dined with Sir John, his father not coming home. And while at dinner comes by the French Ambassador Colbert's mules, the first I ever saw, with their sumpter-clothes mighty rich, and his coaches, he being to have his entry to-day but his things, though rich, are not new; supposed to be the same his brother had the other day, at the treaty at Aix-la-Chapelle, in Flanders. Thence to the Duke of York's house, and there saw "Cupid's Revenge," under the new name of " Love Despised," that hath something very good in it, though I like not the whole body of it. This day the first time acted here.

18th. Alone to the Park; but there were few coaches: among the few, there were our two great beauties, my Lady Castlemaine and Richmond; the first time I saw the latter since she had the smallpox. I had much pleasure to see them, but I thought they were strange one to another.

19th. This week my people wash, over the water, and so I little company at home. Being busy above, a great cry I hear, and go down; and what should it be but Jane, in a fit of direct raving, which lasted half-an-hour. It was beyond four or five of our strength, to keep her down; and, when all come to all, a fit of jealousy about Tom, with whom she is in love. So at night, I, and my wife, and W. Hewer called them to us, and there I did examine all the thing, and them, in league. She in love, and he hath got her to promise him to marry, and he is now cold in it, so that I must rid my hands of them, which troubles me.

dence of the Wood family, as lessees, under the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, in whom the property is still vested. When Pepys visited the place, it was the chief seat of Charles Henry Kirkhoven, Lord Wotton, above-mentioned. That mansion, long since pulled down, had become, in 1720, a house of public entertainment, and was much in vogue, and continued open as late as 1745. See Lysons's Environs, and Park's History of Hampstead.

1 In Great Queen Street.

2 A mistake of Pepys's. Colbert de Croissy, then in England, had himself been the French Plenipotentiary at Aix-la-Chapelle.

3 By Beaumont and Fletcher.

20th. To work till past twelve at night, that I might get my great letter to the Duke of York ready against to-morrow, which I shall do, to my great content.

21st. Up betimes, and with my people again to work, and finished all before noon: and then I by water to White Hall, and there did tell the Duke of York that I had done; and he hath desired me to come to him at Sunday next in the afternoon, to read the letter over, by which I have more time to consider and correct it. To St. James's; and by and by comes Monsieur Colbert, the French Ambassador, to make his first visit to the Duke of York, and then to the Duchess and I saw it a silly piece of ceremony, he saying only a few formal words. A comely man, and in a black suit and cloak of silk, which is a strange fashion, now it hath been so long left off. This day I did first see the Duke of York's room of pictures of some Maids of Honour, done by Lilly good, but not like. Thence to Reeves's, and bought a reading-glass, and so to my bookseller's again, there to buy a Book of Martyrs, which I did agree for; and so away home, and there busy very late at the correcting my great letter to the Duke of York, and so to bed.

2

22d. Pretty well at ease, my great letter being now finished to my full content; and I thank God I have opportunity of doing it, though I know it will set the Office and me by the ears for ever. This morning Captain Cocke comes, and tells me that he is now assured that it is true, what he told me the other day, that our whole Office will be turned out, only me, which, whether he says true or not, I know not, nor am much concerned, though I should be better contented to have it thus than otherwise. To the 'Change, and thence home, and took London-bridge in my way; walking down Fish Street and Gracious Street, to see how very fine a descent they have now made down the hill, that it is become very easy and pleasant. Going through Leaden-Hall, it being market-day, I did see a woman catched, that had stole a shoulder of

1 The set of portraits known as " King Charles's Beauties," formerly in Windsor Castle, but now at Hampton Court.

2 The Book of Martyrs was Fox's Acts and Monuments.

mutton off of a butcher's stall, and carrying it wrapt up in a cloth, in a basket. The jade was surprised, and did not deny it, and the woman so silly, as to let her go that took it, only taking the meat.

23d. (Lord's day.) To church, and heard a good sermon of Mr. Gifford's at our church, upon "Seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven and its righteousness, and all things shall be added to you." A very excellent and persuasive, good and moral sermon. He showed, like a wise man, that righteousness is a surer moral way of being rich, than sin and villainy. After dinner to the Office, Mr. Gibson and I, to examine my letter to the Duke of York, which, to my great joy, I did very well by my paper tube, without pain to my eyes. And I do mightily like what I have therein done; and did, according to the Duke of York's order, make haste to St. James's, and about four o'clock got thither: and there the Duke of York was ready, expecting me, and did hear it all over with extraordinary content; and did give me many and hearty thanks, and in words the most expressive tell me his sense of my good endeavours, and that he would have a care of me on all occasions; and did, with much inwardness,' tell me what was doing, suitable almost to what Captain Cocke tells me, of designs to make alterations in the Navy; and is most open to me in them, and with utmost confidence desires my further advice on all occasions: and he resolves to have my letter transcribed, and sent forthwith to the Office. So, with as much satisfaction as I could possibly, or did hope for, and obligation on the Duke of York's side professed to me, I away into the Park, and there met Mr. Pierce and his wife, and sister and brother, and a little boy, and with them to Mulberry Garden, and spent 18s. on them, and there left them, she being again with child, and by it, the least pretty that ever I saw her. And so I away, and got a coach, and home, and there with my wife and W. Hewer, talking all the evening, my mind running on the business of the Office, to see what more I can do to the rendering myself acceptable and useful to all, and to the King. We to supper, and to bed.

1i. e., intimacy.