ing letters and other things till late at night, and so
home to supper and bed. My mind in some better ease resolving to prevent
matters for the time to come as much as I can, it being to no purpose to
trouble myself for what is past, being occasioned too by my own folly.

17th (Lord's day). Up and in my chamber all the morning, preparing my
great letters to my father, stating to him the perfect condition of our
estate. My wife and Ashwell to church, and after dinner they to church
again, and I all the afternoon making an end of my morning's work,
which I did about the evening, and then to talk with my wife till after
supper, and so to bed having another small falling out and myself vexed
with my old fit of jealousy about her dancing-master. But I am a fool
for doing it. So to bed by daylight, I having a very great cold, so as
I doubt whether I shall be able to speak to-morrow at our attending the
Duke, being now so hoarse.

18th. Up and after taking leave of Sir W. Batten, who is gone this day
towards Portsmouth (to little purpose, God knows) upon his survey, I
home and spent the morning at dancing; at noon Creed dined with us and
Mr. Deane Woolwich, and so after dinner came Mr. Howe, who however had
enough for his dinner, and so, having done, by coach to Westminster, she
to Mrs. Clerke and I to St. James's, where the Duke being gone down by
water to-day with the King I went thence to my Lord Sandwich's lodgings,
where Mr. Howe and I walked a while, and going towards Whitehall through
the garden Dr. Clerk and Creed called me across the bowling green,
and so I went thither and after a stay went up to Mrs. Clerke who was
dressing herself to go abroad with my wife. But, Lord! in what a poor
condition her best chamber is, and things about her, for all the outside
and show that she makes, but I found her just such a one as Mrs. Pierce,
contrary to my expectation, so much that I am sick and sorry to see it.
Thence for an hour Creed and I walked to White Hall, and into the Park,
seeing the Queen and Maids of Honour passing through the house going to
the Park. But above all, Mrs. Stuart is a fine woman, and they say now a
common mistress to the King,

[The king said to 'la belle' Stuart, who resisted all his
importunities, that he hoped he should live to see her "ugly and
willing" (Lord Dartmouth's note to Burnet's "Own Time," vol. i.,
p. 436, ed. 1823).]

as my Lady Castlemaine is; which is a great pit