he could not saw above 4 inches
of the stone in a day, and of a greater not above one or two, and after
it is sawed, then it is rubbed with coarse and then with finer and finer
sand till they come to putty, and so polish it as smooth as glass. Their
saws have no teeth, but it is the sand only which the saw rubs up and
down that do the thing. Thence by water to the Coffee-house, and there
sat with Alderman Barker talking of hempe and the trade, and thence to
the 'Change a little, and so home and dined with my wife, and then to
the office till the evening, and then walked a while merrily with my
wife in the garden, and so she gone, I to work again till late, and so
home to supper and to bed.

25th. Up and to the office, where we sat, and thence with Mr. Coventry
by coach to the glasshouse and there dined, and both before and after
did my Lord Peterborough's accounts. Thence home to the office, and
there did business till called by Creed, and with him by coach (setting
my wife at my brother's) to my Lord's, and saw the young ladies, and
talked a little with them, and thence to White Hall, a while talking
but doing no business, but resolved of going to meet my Lord tomorrow,
having got a horse of Mr. Coventry to-day. So home, taking up my wife,
and after doing something at my office home, God forgive me, disturbed
in my mind out of my jealousy of my wife tomorrow when I am out of town,
which is a hell to my mind, and yet without all reason. God forgive me
for it, and mend me. So home, and getting my things ready for me, weary
to bed.

26th. Up, and after dressing myself handsomely for riding, I out, and
by water to Westminster, to Mr. Creed's chamber, and after drinking
some chocolate, and playing on the vyall, Mr. Mallard being there, upon
Creed's new vyall, which proves, methinks, much worse than mine, and,
looking upon his new contrivance of a desk and shelves for books, we set
out from an inne hard by, whither Mr. Coventry's horse was carried, and
round about the bush through bad ways to Highgate. Good discourse in the
way had between us, and it being all day a most admirable pleasant day,
we, upon consultation, had stopped at the Cocke, a mile on this side
Barnett, being unwilling to put ourselves to the charge or doubtful
acceptance of any provision against my Lord's coming by, and there got
something and dined, setting a boy to look towards Barnett Hill, against
their coming; and after two or three false alarms, the