read a declaration of the
gentlemen of Northampton which came out this afternoon. Thence to my
father's, where I staid with my mother a while and then to Mr. Crew's
about a picture to be sent into the country, of Mr. Thomas Crew, to my
Lord. So [to] my Lady Wright to speak with her, but she was abroad, so
Mr. Evans, her butler, had me into his buttery, and gave me sack and
a lesson on his lute, which he played very well. Thence I went to my
Lord's and got most things ready against tomorrow, as fires and laying
the cloth, and my wife was making of her tarts and larding of her
pullets till eleven o'clock. This evening Mr. Downing sent for me, and
gave me order to go to Mr. Jessop for his papers concerning his dispatch
to Holland which were not ready, only his order for a ship to transport
him he gave me. To my Lord's again and so home with my wife, tired with
this day's work.

26th. To my office for L20 to carry to Mr. Downing, which I did and back
again. Then came Mr. Frost to pay Mr. Downing his L500, and I went to
him for the warrant and brought it Mr. Frost. Called for some papers at
Whitehall for Mr. Downing, one of which was an Order of the Council for
L1800 per annum, to be paid monthly; and the other two, Orders to the
Commissioners of Customs, to let his goods pass free. Home from my
office to my Lord's lodgings where my wife had got ready a very fine
dinner--viz. a dish of marrow bones; a leg of mutton; a loin of veal;
a dish of fowl, three pullets, and two dozen of larks all in a dish; a
great tart, a neat's tongue, a dish of anchovies; a dish of prawns and
cheese. My company was my father, my uncle Fenner, his two sons, Mr.
Pierce, and all their wives, and my brother Tom. We were as merry as I
could frame myself to be in the company, W. Joyce talking after the old
rate and drinking hard, vexed his father and mother and wife. And I did
perceive that Mrs. Pierce her coming so gallant, that it put the two
young women quite out of courage. When it became dark they all went
away but Mr. Pierce, and W. Joyce, and their wives and Tom, and drank a
bottle of wine afterwards, so that Will did heartily vex his father and
mother by staying. At which I and my wife were much pleased. Then they
all went and I fell to writing of two characters for Mr. Downing, and
carried them to him at nine o'clock at night, and he did not like them
but corrected them, so that to-morrow I am to do them anew. To my Lord's
lodging again and s