12th. Up and find myself pretty well, and so to the office, and there
all the morning. Rose at noon and home to dinner in my green chamber,
having a good fire. Thither there came my wife's brother and brought
Mary Ashwell with him, whom we find a very likely person to please us,
both for person, discourse, and other qualitys. She dined with us, and
after dinner went away again, being agreed to come to us about three
weeks or a month hence. My wife and I well pleased with our choice, only
I pray God I may be able to maintain it. Then came an old man from Mr.
Povy, to give me some advice about his experience in the stone, which I
[am] beholden to him for, and was well pleased with it, his chief remedy
being Castle soap in a posset. Then in the evening to the office, late
writing letters and my Journall since Saturday, and so home to supper
and to bed.

13th. Lay very long with my wife in bed talking with great pleasure,
and then rose. This morning Mr. Cole, our timber merchant, sent me five
couple of ducks. Our maid Susan is very ill, and so the whole trouble of
the house lies upon our maid Mary, who do it very contentedly and mighty
well, but I am sorry she is forced to it. Dined upon one couple of ducks
to-day, and after dinner my wife and I by coach to Tom's, and I to the
Temple to discourse with my cozen Roger Pepys about my law business, and
so back again, it being a monstrous thaw after the long great frost, so
that there is no passing but by coach in the streets, and hardly that.
Took my wife home, and I to my office. Find myself pretty well but
fearful of cold, and so to my office, where late upon business; Mr.
Bland sitting with me, talking of my Lord Windsor's being come home from
Jamaica, unlooked-for; which makes us think that these young Lords are
not fit to do any service abroad, though it is said that he could not
have his health there, but hath razed a fort of the King of Spain upon
Cuba, which is considerable, or said to be so, for his honour. So home
to supper and to bed. This day I bought the second part of Dr. Bates's
Elenchus, which reaches to the fall of Richard, and no further, for
which I am sorry. This evening my wife had a great mind to choose
Valentines against to-morrow, I Mrs. Clerke, or Pierce, she Mr. Hunt or
Captain Ferrers, but I would not because of getting charge both to me
for mine and to them for her, which did not please her.

14th. Up and to my office, where we met and sate all t