last with Mrs. Mallett, the great beauty and fortune of the North, who
had supped at White Hall with Mrs. Stewart, and was going home to
her lodgings with her grandfather, my Lord Haly, by coach; and was at
Charing Cross seized on by both horse and foot men, and forcibly taken
from him, and put into a coach with six horses, and two women provided
to receive her, and carried away. Upon immediate pursuit, my Lord of
Rochester (for whom the King had spoke to the lady often, but with no
successe) was taken at Uxbridge; but the lady is not yet heard of, and
the King mighty angry, and the Lord sent to the Tower. Hereupon my Lady
did confess to me, as a great secret, her being concerned in this story.
For if this match breaks between my Lord Rochester and her, then, by the
consent of all her friends, my Lord Hinchingbroke stands fair, and is
invited for her. She is worth, and will be at her mother's death (who
keeps but a little from her), L2500 per annum. Pray God give a good
success to it! But my poor Lady, who is afeard of the sickness, and
resolved to be gone into the country, is forced to stay in towne a day
or two, or three about it, to see the event of it. Thence home and to
see my Lady Pen, where my wife and I were shown a fine rarity: of fishes
kept in a glass of water, that will live so for ever; and finely marked
they are, being foreign.--[Gold-fish introduced from China.]--So
to supper at home and to bed, after many people being with me about
business, among others the two Bellamys about their old debt due to them
from the King for their victualling business, out of which I hope to get
some money.

29th. Lay long in bed, being in some little pain of the wind collique,
then up and to the Duke of Albemarle, and so to the Swan, and there
drank at Herbert's, and so by coach home, it being kept a great holiday
through the City, for the birth and restoration of the King. To my
office, where I stood by and saw Symson the joyner do several things,
little jobbs, to the rendering of my closet handsome and the setting up
of some neat plates that Burston has for my money made me, and so home
to dinner, and then with my wife, mother, and Mercer in one boat, and I
in another, down to Woolwich. I walking from Greenwich, the others going
to and fro upon the water till my coming back, having done but little
business. So home and to supper, and, weary, to bed. We have every
where taken some prizes. Our merchants have good luck to c