a playing: in the doing
whereof, if his ground do slip from under him, he will be contented; but
he is resolved to try, and never to baulke taking notice of any thing
that is to the King's prejudice, let it fall where it will; which is a
most brave resolucion. He was very free with me; and by my troth, I do
see more reall worth in him than in most men that I do know. I would not
forget two passages of Sir J. Minnes's at yesterday's dinner. The one,
that to the question how it comes to pass that there are no boars seen
in London, but many sows and pigs; it was answered, that the constable
gets them a-nights. The other, Thos. Killigrew's way of getting to see
plays when he was a boy. He would go to the Red Bull, and when the man
cried to the boys, "Who will go and be a devil, and he shall see the
play for nothing?" then would he go in, and be a devil upon the stage,
and so get to see plays.

31st. Lay pretty long in bed, and then up and among my workmen, the
carpenters being this day laying of my floor of my dining room, with
whom I staid a good while, and so to my office, and did a little
business, and so home to dinner, and after dinner all the afternoon with
my carpenters, making them lay all my boards but one in my dining room
this day, which I am confident they would have made two good days work
of if I had not been there, and it will be very pleasant. At night to
my office, and there late doing of my office business, and so home to
supper and bed. Thus ends this month, I and my family in good health,
but weary heartily of dirt, but now in hopes within two or three weeks
to be out of it. My head troubled with much business, but especially my
fear of Sir J. Minnes claiming my bed-chamber of me, but I hope now that
it is almost over, for I perceive he is fitting his house to go into it
the next week. Then my law businesses for Brampton makes me mad almost,
for that I want time to follow them, but I must by no means neglect
them. I thank God I do save money, though it be but a little, but I hope
to find out some job or other that I may get a sum by to set me up. I am
now also busy in a discovery for my Lord Sandwich and Sir H. Bennett by
Mr. Wade's means of some of Baxter's [Barkstead] money hid in one of
his cellars in the Tower. If we get it it may be I may be 10 or L20 the
better for it. I thank God I have no crosses, but only much business to
trouble my mind with. In all other things as happy a man as any in the
wor