it lay, and had always been the great confident of
Barkestead even to the trusting him with his life and all he had. So
that he did much convince me that there is good ground for what we go
about. But I fear it may be that he did find some conveyance of it away,
without the help of this man, before he died. But he is resolved to go
to the party once more, and then to determine what we shall do further.
So we parted, and I to my office, where after sending away my letters
to the post I do hear that Sir J. Minnes is resolved to turn part of
our entry into a room and to divide the back yard between Sir W. Pen and
him, which though I do not see how it will annoy me much particularly,
yet it do trouble me a little for fear it should, but I do not see how
it can well unless in his desiring my coming to my back stairs, but for
that I shall do as well as himself or Sir W. Pen, who is most concerned
to look after it.

2nd (Lord's day). Lay long with pleasure talking with my wife, in whom I
never had greater content, blessed be God! than now, she continuing
with the same care and thrift and innocence, so long as I keep her from
occasions of being otherwise, as ever she was in her life, and keeps
the house as well. To church, where Mr. Mills, after he had read the
service, and shifted himself as he did the last day, preached a very
ordinary sermon. So home to dinner with my wife. Then up into my new
rooms which are, almost finished, and there walked with great content
talking with my wife till church time, and then to church, and there
being a lazy preacher I slept out the sermon, and so home, and after
visiting the two Sir Williams, who are both of them mending apace, I to
my office preparing things against to-morrow for the Duke, and so home
and to bed, with some pain,... having taken cold this morning in sitting
too long bare-legged to pare my corns. My wife and I spent a good deal
of this evening in reading "Du Bartas' Imposture" and other parts which
my wife of late has taken up to read, and is very fine as anything I
meet with.

3d. Up and with Sir J. Minnes in his coach to White Hall, to the Duke's;
but found him gone out a-hunting. Thence to my Lord Sandwich, from whom
I receive every day more and more signs of his confidence and esteem
of me. Here I met with Pierce the chyrurgeon, who tells me that my Lady
Castlemaine is with child; but though it be the King's, yet her Lord
being still in town, and sometimes seeing of he