L686 19s. 2 1/2d., for which God be praised; and indeed greatly I hope
to thank Almighty God, who do most manifestly bless me in my endeavours
to do the duties of my office, I now saving money, and my expenses being
little. My wife is still in the country; my house all in dirt; but my
work in a good forwardness, and will be much to my mind at last. In the
afternoon to church, and there heard a simple sermon of a stranger upon
David's words, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the way of the
ungodly," &c., and the best of his sermon was the degrees of walking,
standing, and sitting, showing how by steps and degrees sinners do grow
in wickedness. After sermon to my brother Tom's, who I found has taken
physic to-day, and I talked with him about his country mistress, and
read Cook's letter, wherein I am well satisfied, and will appear in
promoting it; so back and to Mr. Rawlinson's, and there supped with him,
and in came my uncle Wight and my aunt. Our discourse of the discontents
that are abroad, among, and by reason of the Presbyters. Some were
clapped up to-day, and strict watch is kept in the City by the
train-bands, and letters of a plot are taken. God preserve us! for all
these things bode very ill. So home, and after going to welcome home Sir
W. Pen, who was unready, going to bed, I staid with him a little while,
and so to my lodging and to bed.

SEPTEMBER 1662

September 1st. Up betimes at my lodging and to my office and among my
workmen, and then with Sir W. Batten and Sir W. Pen by coach to St.
James's, this being the first day of our meeting there by the Duke's
order; but when we come, we found him going out by coach with his
Duchess, and he told us he was to go abroad with the Queen to-day (to
Durdans, it seems, to dine with my Lord Barkeley, where I have been very
merry when I was a little boy); so we went and staid a little at Mr.
Coventry's chamber, and I to my Lord Sandwich's, who is gone to wait
upon the King and Queen today. And so Mr. Paget being there, Will Howe
and I and he played over some things of Locke's that we used to play at
sea, that pleased us three well, it being the first music I have heard
a great while, so much has my business of late taken me off from all
my former delights. By and by by water home, and there dined alone, and
after dinner with my brother Tom's two men I removed all my goods out of
Sir W. Pen's house into one room that I have with much ado got ready at
my house,