house in the market place to drink fine
Lambeth ale, and so to Westminster Hall, and after walking there a great
while, home by coach, where I found Mary gone from my wife, she being
too high for her, though a very good servant, and my boy too will be
going in a few days, for he is not for my family, he is grown so out
of order and not to be ruled, and do himself, against his brother's
counsel, desire to be gone, which I am sorry for, because I love the boy
and would be glad to bring him to good. At home with my wife and Ashwell
talking of her going into the country this year, wherein we had like to
have fallen out, she thinking that I have a design to have her go, which
I have not, and to let her stay here I perceive will not be convenient,
for she expects more pleasure than I can give her here, and I fear I
have done very ill in letting her begin to learn to dance. The Queen
(which I did not know) it seems was at Windsor, at the late St. George's
feast there; and the Duke of Monmouth dancing with her with his hat in
his hand, the King came in and kissed him, and made him put on his hat,
which every body took notice of. After being a while at my office home
to supper and to bed, my Will being come home again after being at his
father's all the last week taking physique.

28th. Up betimes and to my office, and there all the morning, only
stepped up to see my wife and her dancing master at it, and I think
after all she will do pretty well at it. So to dinner, Mr. Hunt dining
with us, and so to the office, where we sat late, and then I to my
office casting up my Lord's sea accounts over again, and putting them in
order for payment, and so home to supper and to bed.

29th. Up betimes, and after having at my office settled some accounts
for my Lord Sandwich, I went forth, and taking up my father at my
brother's, took coach and towards Chelsey, 'lighting at an alehouse near
the Gatehouse at Westminster to drink our morning draught, and so up
again and to Chelsey, where we found my Lord all alone at a little table
with one joynt of meat at dinner; we sat down and very merry talking,
and mightily extolling the manner of his retirement, and the goodness of
his diet, which indeed is so finely dressed: the mistress of the
house, Mrs. Becke, having been a woman of good condition heretofore,
a merchant's wife, and hath all things most excellently dressed; among
others, her cakes admirable, and so good that my Lord's words were, the