ument, and at last
broke up and I to my office a little while, being fearful of being too
much taken with musique, for fear of returning to my old dotage thereon,
and so neglect my business as I used to do. Then home and to bed. Coming
home I brought Mr. Pickering as far as the Temple, who tells me the
story is very true of a child being dropped at the ball at Court; and
that the King had it in his closett a week after, and did dissect it;
and making great sport of it, said that in his opinion it must have been
a month and three hours old; and that, whatever others think, he hath
the greatest loss (it being a boy, as he says), that hath lost a subject
by the business. He tells me, too, that the other story, of my Lady
Castlemaine's and Stuart's marriage, is certain, and that it was in
order to the King's coming to Stuart, as is believed generally. He tells
me that Sir H. Bennet is a Catholique, and how all the Court almost is
changed to the worse since his coming in, they being afeard of him. And
that the Queen-Mother's Court is now the greatest of all; and that our
own Queen hath little or no company come to her, which I know also to be
very true, and am sorry to see it.

18th. Up, leaving my wife sick as last night in bed. I to my office all
the morning, casting up with Captain Cocke their accounts of 500 tons
of hemp brought from Riga, and bought by him and partners upon account,
wherein are many things worth my knowledge. So at noon to dinner, taking
Mr. Hater with me because of losing them, and in the afternoon he and
I alone at the office, finishing our account of the extra charge of the
Navy, not properly belonging to the Navy, since the King's coming in to
Christmas last; and all extra things being abated, I find that the true
charge of the Navy to that time hath been after the rate of L374,743
a-year. I made an end by eleven o'clock at night, and so home to bed
almost weary. This day the Parliament met again, after their long
prorogation; but I know not any thing what they have done, being within
doors all day.

19th. Up and to my office, where abundance of business all the morning.
Dined by my wife's bedside, she not being yet well. We fell out almost
upon my discourse of delaying the having of Ashwell, where my wife
believing that I have a mind to have Pall, which I have not, though I
could wish she did deserve to be had. So to my office, where by and by
we sat, this afternoon being the first we have met upo