where I met Mr. Lanyon, who tells
me Mr. Alsop is past hopes, which will mightily disappoint me in my
hopes there, and yet it may be not. I shall think whether it will be
safe for me to venture myself or no, and come in as an adventurer. He
gone, Mr. Cole (my old Jack Cole) comes to see and speak with me, and
his errand in short to tell me that he is giving over his trade; he can
do no good in it, and will turn what he has into money and go to sea,
his father being dead and leaving him little, if any thing. This I was
sorry to hear, he being a man of good parts, but, I fear, debauched. I
promised him all the friendship I can do him, which will end in little,
though I truly mean it, and so I made him stay with me till 11 at night,
talking of old school stories, and very pleasing ones, and truly I find
that we did spend our time and thoughts then otherwise than I think boys
do now, and I think as well as methinks that the best are now. He supped
with me, and so away, and I to bed. And strange to see how we are all
divided that were bred so long at school together, and what various
fortunes we have run, some good, some bad.

26th. All the morning at the office, at noon to Anthony Joyce's, to
our gossip's dinner. I had sent a dozen and a half of bottles of wine
thither, and paid my double share besides, which is 18s. Very merry we
were, and when the women were merry and rose from table, I above
with them, ne'er a man but I, I began discourse of my not getting of
children, and prayed them to give me their opinions and advice, and they
freely and merrily did give me these ten, among them (1) Do not hug my
wife too hard nor too much; (2) eat no late suppers; (3) drink juyce
of sage; (4) tent and toast; (5) wear cool holland drawers; (6) keep
stomach warm and back cool; (7) upon query whether it was best to do at
night or morn, they answered me neither one nor other, but when we had
most mind to it; (8) wife not to go too straight laced; (9) myself to
drink mum and sugar; (10) Mrs. Ward did give me, to change my place.
The 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 10th they all did seriously declare, and lay
much stress upon them as rules fit to be observed indeed, and especially
the last, to lie with our heads where our heels do, or at least to make
the bed high at feet and low at head. Very merry all, as much as I
could be in such sorry company. Great discourse of the fray yesterday
in Moorefields, how the butchers at first did beat the weaver