ier, and then the Fishing. Mr.
Povy did in discourse give me a rub about my late bill for money that
I did get of him, which vexed me and stuck in my mind all this evening,
though I know very well how to cleare myself at the worst. So home and
to my office, where late, and then home to bed. Mighty talke there is
of this Comet that is seen a'nights; and the King and Queene did sit up
last night to see it, and did, it seems. And to-night I thought to
have done so too; but it is cloudy, and so no stars appear. But I will
endeavour it. Mr. Gray did tell me to-night, for certain, that the
Dutch, as high as they seem, do begin to buckle; and that one man in
this Kingdom did tell the King that he is offered L40,000 to make a
peace, and others have been offered money also. It seems the taking of
their Bourdeaux fleete thus, arose from a printed Gazette of the Dutch's
boasting of fighting, and having beaten the English: in confidence
whereof (it coming to Bourdeaux), all the fleete comes out, and so falls
into our hands.

18th (Lord's day). To church, where, God forgive me! I spent most of my
time in looking [on] my new Morena--[a brunette]--at the other side of
the church, an acquaintance of Pegg Pen's. So home to dinner, and then
to my chamber to read Ben Johnson's Cataline, a very excellent piece,
and so to church again, and thence we met at the office to hire ships,
being in great haste and having sent for several masters of ships to
come to us. Then home, and there Mr. Andrews and Hill come and we sung
finely, and by and by Mr. Fuller, the Parson, and supped with me, he and
a friend of his, but my musique friends would not stay supper. At
and after supper Mr. Fuller and I told many storys of apparitions and
delusions thereby, and I out with my storys of Tom Mallard. He gone, I a
little to my office, and then to prayers and to bed.

19th. Going to bed betimes last night we waked betimes, and from our
people's being forced to take the key to go out to light a candle, I was
very angry and begun to find fault with my wife for not commanding her
servants as she ought. Thereupon she giving me some cross answer I did
strike her over her left eye such a blow as the poor wretch did cry out
and was in great pain, but yet her spirit was such as to endeavour to
bite and scratch me. But I coying--[stroking or caressing]--with her
made her leave crying, and sent for butter and parsley, and friends
presently one with another, and I up, v