the Sun taverne, where he brought to me, being all alone; L100 in a bag,
which I offered him to give him my receipt for, but he told me, no, it
was my owne, which he had a little while since promised me and was glad
that (as I had told him two days since) it would now do me courtesy; and
so most kindly he did give it me, and I as joyfully, even out of myself,
carried it home in a coach, he himself expressly taking care that
nobody might see this business done, though I was willing enough to have
carried a servant with me to have received it, but he advised me to do
it myself. So home with it and to dinner; after dinner I forth with my
boy to buy severall things, stools and andirons and candlesticks, &c.,
household stuff, and walked to the mathematical instrument maker in
Moorefields and bought a large pair of compasses, and there met Mr.
Pargiter, and he would needs have me drink a cup of horse-radish ale,
which he and a friend of his troubled with the stone have been drinking
of, which we did and then walked into the fields as far almost as Sir
G. Whitmore's, all the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a
sad place; and, though Moscow is a very great city, yet it is from the
distance between house and house, and few people compared with this, and
poor, sorry houses, the Emperor himself living in a wooden house, his
exercise only flying a hawk at pigeons and carrying pigeons ten or
twelve miles off and then laying wagers which pigeon shall come soonest
home to her house. All the winter within doors, some few playing at
chesse, but most drinking their time away. Women live very slavishly
there, and it seems in the Emperor's court no room hath above two or
three windows, and those the greatest not a yard wide or high, for
warmth in winter time; and that the general cure for all diseases there
is their sweating houses, or people that are poor they get into their
ovens, being heated, and there lie. Little learning among things of
any sort. Not a man that speaks Latin, unless the Secretary of State
by chance. Mr. Pargiter and I walked to the 'Change together and there
parted, and so I to buy more things and then home, and after a little
at my office, home to supper and to bed. This day old Hardwicke came and
redeemed a watch he had left with me in pawne for 40s. seven years ago,
and I let him gave it. Great talk that the Dutch will certainly be out
this week, and will sail directly to Guinny, being convoyed out of the
Cha